Related pages
The city of Hamath
Hamath was an important and powerful city-state which was located in the modern city of Hama in Syria in a strategic position on a gigantic mound near the east bank of the River Orontes 120 km (75 miles) south of Aleppo. The Hebrew word for the city means a fortress or a citadel.
It was the capital of the surrounding district, which had the same name. Hamath was an important city controlled by the Hittite Empire until around 1200 BC. After this it became one of the many Hittite city states, and was later controlled by the Arameans. It controlled one of the major trading routes from Asia Minor (modern Turkey) to the south.
Table of the nations
According to the table of the nations Hamath was inhabited by the Hamathites, one of the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham (Genesis 10:18, 1 Chr 1:16).
Northern border of the Promised Land
Hamath marked the northern limit of the Promised Land. In this context it is named as ‘Lebo-hamath’, which is often translated as ‘the entrance of Hamath’ (Num 34:7-9, Ezek 47:15-17, 20), and allocated to the tribe of Dan in Ezekiel’s prophecy (Ezek 48:1). Lebo-hamath may be identified as the ancient site of Lebo, which is the modern town of Lebweh, northeast of Baalbek at the headwaters of the River Orontes. It is unlikely that the city of Hamath was intended to be included in the boundaries of Israel.
Joshua
Hamath was northern extent of the areas visited by the twelve spies (Num 13:21). Hamath was not conquered or occupied by the Israelites during the lifetime of Joshua. It was included in the list of lands that still remained to be possessed at the end of his life, one of the nations left by God to test the Israelites (Josh 13:5, Judges 3:3).
David
During his reign, David reached the northern limit of the Promised Land, reaching the River Euphrates, “David also struck down King Hadadezer of Zobah, toward Hamath, as he went to set up a monument at the River Euphrates” (1 Chr 18:3).
David had friendly relations with Hamath. When King Toi of Hamath heard about David’s victory over his enemy Hadadezer son of Zobah, he sent his son Joram to congratulate David on defeating Hadadezer and brought gifts of silver, gold, and bronze.
“When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him. Now Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold and bronze.” (2 Sam 8:9-10). King Toi is named Tou in the Chronicles account, and his son Joram named Hadoram (1 Chr 18:9).
King Toi is the first known ruler of Hamath. It has been suggested that Toi should be identified as being the king of Hamath, known as Taita II, who ruled at the time of David.
Solomon
During the reign of Solomon, the area of Hamath, sometimes referred to as ‘Hamath-zobah’, came under his control. “Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and captured it. He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage towns that he built in Hamath” (2 Chr 8:3-4). A great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt came to Jerusalem for the dedication of Solomon’s temple (1 Kg 8:65, 2 Chr 7:8). This was the extent of the land originally promised to Abraham (Gen 15:18).
It appears that towards the end of Solomon’s reign he lost control of Hamath. One of the adversaries raised up by God because of Solomon’s idolatry was Rezon, who had fled from King Hadadezer of Zobah. He had gathered a band of outlaws after the defeat of Hadadezer by David, and became king in Damascus, making trouble for Solomon (1 Kg 11:23-25).
Battle of Qarqar
This was an important battle which took place in 853 BC but is not mentioned in the OT. According to the cuneiform inscription on the Kurkh Stela (column II, line 92), King Irkhulêni (Urhilina) of Hamath contributed 700 chariots and 10,000 men to the coalition of nations including Ahab of Israel and Benhadad of Syria. These were standing against Shalmaneser III of Assyria who was attempting to expand his empire to reach the Mediterranean. Even though Shalmaneser claimed victory, the battle of Qarqar was more of a draw, with both sides weakened. A few years later Shalmaneser returned when he defeated and occupied Hamath.
Jeroboam II
As the prophet Jonah declared, King Jeroboam II of Israel restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah (2 Kg 14:25,28, Amos 6:2). This would have happened around 780 BC during a period of decline in Assyria.
Assyria
Hamath was conquered by the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser III around 721 BC, a fact that the Assyrian kings boasted about (Is 10:9). Enilu of Hamath had to pay tribute to Assyria from around 730 BC.
In Assyrian annals Sargon II (ca. 722 - 705 BC) describes himself as 'the destroyer of Hamath'. In 701, during the siege of Jerusalem, Sennacherib boasted that the Assyrians had destroyed Hamath (2 Kings 18:34, 19:13, Is 36:19, 37:13).
Following their conquest of Samaria and the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Assyrians brought people from Hamath to resettle them in Samaria (2 Kg 17:24), where they worshipped their god Ashima (2 Kg 18:30). This god is not known elsewhere in the OT or other documents. They also exiled some of the Israelites to Hamath (Is 11:11).
Jehoahaz
According to the Babylonian chronicle it was at Hamath that Nebuchadnezzar overtook the Egyptians who were fleeing after their defeat at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC.
Jehoahaz, who briefly ruled after Josiah’s death, was captured by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt who confined him at Riblah in the land of Hamath (2 Kg 23:33). After the Battle or Carchemish, Riblah was used as the command centre for the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. After the fall of Jerusalem prominent leaders and priests were taken to Riblah where Nebuchadnezzar put them to death (2 Kg 25:21).
Zedekiah
After he fled from Jerusalem, Zedekiah was captured by the Babylonians and taken before Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where his sons and the nobles were killed, before he was blinded, and taken to exile in Babylon (Jer 39:5-6).
Prophets
Jeremiah declared that Hamath was confounded when they heard news of Damascus falling (Jer 49:23).
The prophet Zechariah declared that Hamath together with Aram belonged to the LORD (Zech 9:2).
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
During the inter-testamental period, Hamath was under the control of the Seleucids. Antiochus Epiphanes renamed the city after himself, calling it ‘Epiphaneia’. It is mentioned in the apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees, where Jonathan met the forces of Demetrius away from Jerusalem in the region of Hamath (1 Macc 12:25).
It continued to called Epiphaneia by the Greeks and the Romans, then later reverted to the original name of Hama after the Moslem conquest.
Archaeology
The city of Hamath is an important source of Hittite artifacts and inscriptions. The ‘Hamath Stones’ which are hieroglyphic inscriptions, were discovered in 1871, and enabled scholars to decipher the script of the Luwian language.
An important excavation through many historical layers was conducted by Danish archaeologists in the 1930's. They dug through twelve occupational layers, which revealed that the period of occupation began with a small settlement in neolithic times about 6500 BC to a major iron-age kingdom lasting until 720 BC, when it was destroyed by the Assyrians. The Danish team excavated large palace buildings from the 9th and 8th centuries BC.
Steles belonging to the Hittite Kings Urhilina (Irhuleni) and Zakur have been discovered. These connect the rulers of Hamath with the Assyrian lists of kings.
Related pages