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MENAHEM

(Heb. mĕnaḥēm)

King of Israel (ca. 746 to 737 b.c.e.). Menahem overthrew Shallum, his rival for the throne after the assassination of Zechariah, after Shallum had reigned but one month. Menahem’s usurpation of power was indicative of the chaos that followed the death of Jeroboam II and that led to the decline and fall of the northern kingdom. Since Menahem came from Tirzah, the original capital of Israel under Jeroboam I until Omri founded Samaria, his coup may have been supported by a long-standing anti-Samarian faction that seized the opportunity to gain control.

Menahem’s bloody coup was followed by his sack of Tiphsah (2 Kgs. 15:16) and his heavy taxation of Israel to pay off the tribute he owed Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (vv. 19-20). Whether this was vassal tribute or a payment for military aid to secure a hold on his kingdom is not clear, but Menahem’s reign was a time of pro-Assyrian compromise in the struggle against this new threat to peace. His dynasty extended to the two-year reign of his son Pekahiah, who was likely overthrown as a reaction to Menahem’s policies.

Bibliography. L. D. Levine, “Menahem and Tiglath-Pileser: A New Synchronism,” BASOR 206 (1972): 40-42.

Andrew H. Bartelt

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MENAHEM

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)