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For the Khazar ruler of the same name, see Menahem (Khazar). For the medieval poet and philologist, see Menahem ben Saruq.

Menahem, (Hebrew: מְנַחֵם, Modern: Menaẖem, Tiberian: Menạḥēm, from a Hebrew word meaning "the consoler" or "comforter") was a king of the Kingdom of Israel. He was the son of Gadi, and the founder of the dynasty known as the House of Gadi or House of Menahem.

Menahem became king of Israel in the thirty-ninth year of the reign of Azariah, king of Judah, and reigned for ten years.^[1] According to the chronology of Kautsch, ^[2] he ruled from 743 BC; according to Schrader, from 745 – 736 BC. William F. Albright has dated his reign from 745 BC – 738 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 752 BC – 742 BC. His reign for ten years.

He came from Tirzah to Samaria to kill Shallum, and succeeded him as king.^[3] He brutally suppressed a revolt at Tiphsah (so the name in the Masoretic text; modern commentators and translators prefer the reading Tappuah, following the Lucian recension of the Septuagint), and ripped unborn children from the wombs of their mothers.^[4] During his reign Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria, invaded Israel with a powerful force, but was induced to leave by a gift from Menahem of 1,000 talents of silver, raised from a levy of 50 shekels on each "person of means".^[5] Tiglath-Pileser records this tribute in one of his inscriptions.

Menahem was succeeded by his son Pekahiah.^[6]

Biography

The short reign of Menahem is told in 2 Kings 15:14–22. He was "the son of Gadi", maybe a scion of the tribe of Gad. Josephus (Ant. 9:11:1) tells us he was a general of the army of Israel. The writer of 2 Kings is apparently synopsizing the "Book of the Words (Hebrew, 'Deeds') of the Days of the Kings of Israel", and gives scant details of the ten years that Menahem reigned. When Shallum conspired against and murdered Zacharias in Samaria, and set himself upon the throne of the northern kingdom, Menahem refused to recognize the usurper; he marched from Thersa to Samaria, about six miles westwards, laid siege to Samaria, took it, murdered Shallum, and set himself upon the throne. He next destroyed Thapsa, which has not been located, put all its inhabitants to death, and treated even pregnant women in the revolting fashion of the time. The Prophet Hosea (7:1-13, 15) describes the drunkenness and debauchery implied in the words "he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam."

The reign of this military adventurer is important from the fact that therein the Assyrians first entered the land of Israel. "And Pul, king of the Assyrians, came into the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver" (2 Kings 15:19). It is now generally admitted that Pul is Tiglath-Pileser III of the cuneiform inscriptions. Pul was probably his personal name and the one that first reached Israel. His reign (745-728 B.C.) had begun three years before Menahem's. The Assyrians may have been invited into Israel by the Assyrian party. Hosea speaks of the two anti-Israelite parties, the Egyptian and Assyrian (Hosea 7:11).

The result of the expedition of Tiglath-Pileser was an exorbitant tribute imposed upon Rezin of Damascus and Menahem of Samaria (Mi-ni-hi-im-mi Sa-mi-ri-na-ai). This tribute, 1000 talents of silver (about $1,700,000 circa 1900) was exacted by Menahem from all the mighty men of wealth. Each paid fifty shekels of silver -- about twenty-eight dollars. There were, at the time, then, some 60,000 "that were mighty and rich" in Israel. In view of this tribute, Tiglath-Pileser returned to Assyria.

Menahem seems to have died a natural death, after reigning for about ten years. He left the throne to his son Pekahiah. The author of the Book of Kings describes his rule as one of cruelty and oppression.

Source

Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Manahem". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Regnal titles
Menahem House of Gadi Contemporary King of Judah: Uzziah/Azariah, Jotham
Preceded by Shallum	King of Israel 752 – 742 BC	Succeeded by Pekahiah

[1] 2 Kings 15:17

[2] Hist. of O.T. Literature, 185

[3] (2 Kings 15:14

[4] 2 Kings 15:16

[5] 2 Kings 15:19–21

[6] 2 Kings 15:22

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 :''For the [[Khazar]] ruler of the same name, see [[Menahem (Khazar)]]. For the medieval poet and philologist, see [[Menahem ben Saruq]].''
 '''Menahem''', ({{Hebrew Name|מְנַחֵם|Menaẖem|Menạḥēm}}, from a Hebrew word meaning "the consoler" or "comforter") was a king of the [[Kingdom of Israel]]. He was the son of [[House of Gadi|Gadi]], and the founder of the dynasty known as the [[House of Gadi]] or House of Menahem.
-According to the chronology of Kautsch, <ref>Hist. of O.T. Literature, 185<ref> he ruled from 743 BC; according to Schrader, from 745 &ndash; 736 BC. [[William F. Albright]] has dated his reign from 745 BC &ndash; 738 BC, while [[Edwin R. Thiele|E. R. Thiele]] offers the dates 752 BC &ndash; 742 BC.
+Menahem became king of Israel in the thirty-ninth year of the reign of [[Azariah]], [[king of Judah]], and reigned for ten years.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:17|NIV}}</ref> According to the chronology of Kautsch, <ref>Hist. of O.T. Literature, 185</ref> he ruled from 743 BC; according to Schrader, from 745 &ndash; 736 BC. [[William F. Albright]] has dated his reign from 745 BC &ndash; 738 BC, while [[Edwin R. Thiele|E. R. Thiele]] offers the dates 752 BC &ndash; 742 BC. His reign for ten years.
 He came from [[Tirzah]] to [[Samaria]] to kill [[Shallum of Israel|Shallum]], and succeeded him as king.<ref>({{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:14|NIV}}</ref> He brutally suppressed a revolt at [[Tiphsah]] (so the name in the [[Masoretes|Masoretic]] text; modern commentators and translators prefer the reading [[Tappuah]], following the [[Lucian recension]] of the [[Septuagint]]), and ripped unborn children from the wombs of their mothers.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:16|NIV}}</ref> During his reign [[Tiglath-Pileser III]], king of [[Assyria]], invaded [[Israel]] with a powerful force, but was induced to leave by a gift from Menahem of 1,000 [[talent (weight)|talent]]s of silver, raised from a levy of 50 shekels on each "person of means".<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:19-21|NIV}}</ref> Tiglath-Pileser records this tribute in one of his inscriptions.
+Menahem was succeeded by his son Pekahiah.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:22|NIV}}</ref>
 ==Biography==
-The short reign of Menahem is told in {{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:14-22|NIV}}. He was "the son of Gadi", maybe a [[scion]] of the [[tribe of Gad]]. [[Josephus]] (''[[Jewish Antiquities|Ant]]''. 9:11:1) tells us he was a general of the army of Israel. The sacred writer of 2 Kings is apparently synopsizing the "Book of the Words (Hebrew, 'Deeds') of the Days of the Kings of Israel", and gives scant details of the ten years that Menahem reigned. When [[Shallum]] conspired against and murdered [[Zechariah of Israel|Zacharias]] in [[Samaria]], and set himself upon the throne of the northern kingdom, Menahem refused to recognize the usurper; he marched from [[Thersa]] to Samaria, about six miles westwards, laid siege to Samaria, took it, murdered Shallum, and set himself upon the throne. He next destroyed [[Thapsa]], which has not been located, put all its inhabitants to death, and treated even pregnant women in the revolting fashion of the time. The [[Prophet]] [[Hosea]] (7:1-13, 15) describes the drunkenness and debauchery implied in the words "he departed not from the sins of [[Jeroboam]]."
+The short reign of Menahem is told in {{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:14-22|NIV}}. He was "the son of Gadi", maybe a [[scion]] of the [[tribe of Gad]]. [[Josephus]] (''[[Jewish Antiquities|Ant]]''. 9:11:1) tells us he was a general of the army of Israel. The writer of 2 Kings is apparently synopsizing the "Book of the Words (Hebrew, 'Deeds') of the Days of the Kings of Israel", and gives scant details of the ten years that Menahem reigned. When [[Shallum]] conspired against and murdered [[Zechariah of Israel|Zacharias]] in [[Samaria]], and set himself upon the throne of the northern kingdom, Menahem refused to recognize the usurper; he marched from [[Thersa]] to Samaria, about six miles westwards, laid siege to Samaria, took it, murdered Shallum, and set himself upon the throne. He next destroyed [[Thapsa]], which has not been located, put all its inhabitants to death, and treated even pregnant women in the revolting fashion of the time. The [[Prophet]] [[Hosea]] (7:1-13, 15) describes the drunkenness and debauchery implied in the words "he departed not from the sins of [[Jeroboam]]."
 The reign of this military adventurer is important from the fact that therein the [[ancient Assyrians|Assyrians]] first entered the land of Israel. "And [[Tiglath-Pileser III|Pul]], king of the Assyrians, came into the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver" ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:19|NIV}}). It is now generally admitted that Pul is [[Tiglath-Pileser III]] of the cuneiform inscriptions. Pul was probably his personal name and the one that first reached Israel. His reign (745-728 B.C.) had begun three years before Menahem's. The Assyrians may have been invited into Israel by the Assyrian party. [[Book of Hosea|Hosea]] speaks of the two anti-Israelite parties, the Egyptian and Assyrian (Hosea 7:11).