The Black Obelisk of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III
The Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (ruled 858–824 BCE). Although its shape is inspired by Egyptian obelisks, it does not taper to a pyramid. The second row depicts “Jehu, son of Omri.” A detail of this appears with the color photographs.
oak. Among the more than three hundred species of oak worldwide are the Palestinian and Tabor oak trees, which grow throughout the Near East. The evergreen Palestinian oak has small leathery leaves edged with tiny thorns, and in biblical times. it thrived in the hill country at elevations of 1,000 feet. Forests were also found in Bashan in the northern Transjordan (Ezek. 27:6; Zech. 11:2) as well as in Gilead and parts of Edom, Upper Galilee, and Carmel. The Tabor oak grew at lower altitudes, in the coastal plain, Lower Galilee, and interior valleys. It is a deciduous tree with large leaves. The Plain of Sharon was at one time covered with an impenetrable Tabor oak forest, which was compared with the lush forests of Carmel and the Lebanon (Isa. 33:9; 35:2).
The oak is often a symbol of strength. As a venerable, mighty tree, the oak is associated with worship (Gen. 13:18), with sacrificial offerings (Hos. 4:13), long life (Isa. 6:13), and sanctuaries (“the oak in the sanctuary of the LORD” at Shechem, Josh. 24:26).
Rattray, Susan. “Nympha.” Ed. Mark Allan Powell. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) 2011 : 710–712. Print.
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