Pul is a biblical figure mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in the context of the Assyrian Empire's interactions with the Kingdom of Israel. Pul is identified with Tiglath-Pileser III, a prominent Assyrian king who reigned from approximately 745 to 727 BC. His reign marked a period of significant expansion and consolidation for the Assyrian Empire, and he played a crucial role in the history of the Israelite kingdoms.

Biblical References:

1. 2 Kings 15:19 : "Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom." This verse highlights Pul's involvement with Menahem, the king of Israel. Menahem sought to secure his position by paying a substantial tribute to Pul, indicating the Assyrian king's influence and the political dynamics of the region during this period.

2. 1 Chronicles 5:26 : "So the God of Israel stirred the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), and he took the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day." This passage connects Pul with the deportation of the Israelite tribes east of the Jordan River. It underscores the Assyrian policy of relocating conquered peoples, a strategy used to prevent rebellion and integrate territories into the empire.

Historical Context:

Pul, as Tiglath-Pileser III, was a formidable ruler who implemented significant military and administrative reforms in Assyria. His campaigns extended Assyrian control over much of the Near East, including parts of Syria and Israel. The tribute paid by Menahem and the subsequent deportations reflect the geopolitical realities of the time, where smaller states often became vassals to more powerful empires like Assyria.

Theological Significance:

From a theological perspective, Pul's interactions with Israel are seen as part of God's sovereign plan. The biblical narrative often interprets the rise and fall of nations as instruments of divine judgment or blessing. In the case of Pul, his actions against Israel are viewed as a fulfillment of prophetic warnings about the consequences of the nation's disobedience to God.

Archaeological Insights:

Archaeological findings, including Assyrian inscriptions and reliefs, corroborate the biblical accounts of Tiglath-Pileser III's campaigns. These sources provide additional details about his military conquests and the administrative measures he implemented to control his vast empire. Such evidence enhances our understanding of the historical context in which the biblical events occurred.

In summary, Pul, identified with Tiglath-Pileser III, is a significant figure in the biblical narrative, representing the Assyrian power that played a pivotal role in the history of Israel and Judah. His interactions with the Israelite kings illustrate the complex political and spiritual dynamics of the ancient Near East.Pul

bean; destruction

Pul

(lord), a country or nation mentioned in (Isaiah 66:19) It is spoken of with distant nations, and is supposed by some to represent the island Philae in Egypt, and by others Libya.

Pul

1. An Assyrian king, about 765 B. C., when Assyria is first mentioned in Scripture after the time of Nimrod. He invaded Israel during the reign of Menhem, but was induced to retire by a present of a thousand talents of silver, equivalent to at least a million and a half of dollars, 2 Kings 15:19,20; 1 Chronicles 5:26.

2. Isaiah 66:19, a region remote from Judea, associated with Lud, and supposed by Bochart to be traceable in the island Philae in the Nile, near the confines of Egypt and Ethiopia.

(1.) An Assyrian king. It has been a question whether he was identical with Tiglath-pileser III. (q.v.), or was his predecessor. The weight of evidence is certainly in favour of their identity. Pul was the throne-name he bore in Babylonia as king of Babylon, and Tiglath-pileser the throne-name he bore as king of Assyria. He was the founder of what is called the second Assyrian empire. He consolidated and organized his conquests on a large scale. He subdued Northern Syria and Hamath, and the kings of Syria rendered him homage and paid him tribute. His ambition was to found in Western Asia a kingdom which should embrace the whole civilized world, having Nineveh as its centre. Menahem, king of Israel, gave him the enormous tribute of a thousand talents of silver, "that his hand might be with him" (2 Kings 15:19; 1 Chronicles 5:26). The fact that this tribute could be paid showed the wealthy condition of the little kingdom of Israel even in this age of disorder and misgovernment. Having reduced Syria, he turned his arms against Babylon, which he subdued. The Babylonian king was slain, and Babylon and other Chaldean cities were taken, and Pul assumed the title of "King of Sumer [i.e., Shinar] and Accad." He was succeeded by Shalmanezer IV.

(2.) A geographical name in Isaiah 66:19. Probably = Phut (Genesis 10:6; Jeremiah 46:9, R.V. "Put;" Ezek. 27:10).

PUL

pul:

(1) An Assyrian king (2 Kings 15:19).

See TIGLATH-PILESER.

(2) An African country and people (Isaiah 66:19).

See PUT.

6322. Pul -- an Assyrian king
... Pul. 6323 . an Assyrian king. Transliteration: Pul Phonetic Spelling: (pool) Short
Definition: Pul. ... king, the same as NH8407 NASB Word Usage Pul (3). ...
/hebrew/6322.htm - 6k

How Zachariah Shallum, Menahem Pekahiah and Pekah Took the ...
... How Zachariah Shallum, Menahem Pekahiah And Pekah Took The Government Over The
Israelites; And How Pul And Tiglath-Pileser Made An Expedition Against The ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 11 how zachariah shallum.htm

The Assyrian Captivity
... In judgment the Lord remembered mercy, and at first, when "Pul the king of Assyria
came against the land," Menahem, then king of Israel, was not taken captive ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 23 the assyrian captivity.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... Assur-nirari, the last of the old dynasty, died or was put to death, and Pulu or
Pul, one of his generals, was proclaimed king on the 13th of Iyyar or April ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm

Appendices
... days 731. THE DYNASTY OF SAPE. Yukin-zera or Khinziros, 3 years 730 Pulu
(Pul or Poros), called Tiglath-pileser III. in Assyria, 2 ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/appendices.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... It is expressly mentioned in 2 Kings 15:20, that the invasion of Pul was only
transitory, and that not conquest, but spoil, was its aim. ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm

Hope for the Heathen
... 2, 3. Jehovah declared to the prophet that He would send His witnesses
"unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, . . . to Tubal ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 31 hope for the.htm

Book 9 Footnotes
... that when this Menahem is said to have exacted the money of Israel of all the mighty
men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give Pul, the king ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... How Zachariah Shallum, Menahem Pekahiah And Pekah Took The Government Over The
Israelites; And How Pul And Tiglath-Pileser Made An Expedition Against The ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

The Old Testament and Archeology
... during whose reign the power of Assyria declined, but in 745 the great Tiglath-pileser
IV, mentioned in the Old Testament also under the name Pul, ascended the ...
/.../the christian view of the old testament/chapter iv the old testament.htm

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
... Ezekiel 27; Revelation 18:2,3). Why thus it will be in the latter day with the church
of God; the nations shall come from far, from Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tubal ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy city or the.htm

Pul (3 Occurrences)
...Pul was the throne-name he bore in Babylonia as king of Babylon, and
Tiglath-pileser the throne-name he bore as king of Assyria. ...PUL. ...
/p/pul.htm - 9k

Tiglath-pileser (6 Occurrences)
... The king of Assyria, whom the historian of 2 Kings knows as exacting tribute from
Menahem, is Pul (2 Kings 15:19 f). In the days of Pekah who had usurped the ...
/t/tiglath-pileser.htm - 12k

Menahem (8 Occurrences)
... During his reign, Pul (qv), king of Assyria, came with a powerful force against
Israel, but was induced to retire by a gift from Menahem of 1,000 talents of ...
/m/menahem.htm - 13k

Tiglathpileser (3 Occurrences)
... The king of Assyria, whom the historian of 2 Kings knows as exacting tribute from
Menahem, is Pul (2 Kings 15:19 f). In the days of Pekah who had usurped the ...
/t/tiglathpileser.htm - 11k

Captivity (141 Occurrences)
...Pul (qv) imposed a tribute on Menahem of a thousand talents of silver (2 Kings
15:19, 20; 1 Chronicles 5:26) (BC 762), and Tiglath-pileser, in the days of ...
/c/captivity.htm - 79k

Nebo (13 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Proclaimer; prophet. (1.) A Chaldean god whose worship
was introduced into Assyria by Pul (Isaiah 46:1; Jeremiah 48:1). To this idol ...
/n/nebo.htm - 17k

Invaded (20 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 15:19 There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave
Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to ...
/i/invaded.htm - 12k

Men'ahem (8 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 15:19 There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave
Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to ...
/m/men'ahem.htm - 8k

Talents (36 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 15:19 There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave
Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to ...
/t/talents.htm - 19k

Lud (10 Occurrences)
... In Isaiah 66:19 Lud is mentioned with Tarshish and Pul (generally regarded
as a mistake for Phut), Tubal, Javan, and the isles. ...
/l/lud.htm - 13k

When and how was Israel conquered by the Assyrians? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Assyria in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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