Camels and royal legitimacy in the Reign of Shalmaneser III
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Citation | |
| Description | This paper examines the significance of camels in the Assyrian Empire during the reign of Shalmaneser III (859–824 BCE), the first ruler whose inscriptions and iconography contain repeated references to these animals. While camels are rarely mentioned in early Neo-Assyrian sources, Shalmaneser’s inscriptions and reliefs stand out not only for the frequency of such references but also for their distinctive character. They record even the acquisition of a minimal number of animals—quantities that, under normal circumstances, would not merit documentation. Notably, mentions of camels are concentrated in the early years of Shalmaneser’s reign, while later sources largely omit them. The paper develops the theory that these early references are not incidental but rather constitute a deliberate legitimizing tool of a young monarch. In this context, the camel serves as a symbol of dynastic continuity with his predecessors, who likewise received camels as tribute. The significance of these mentions lies less in their practical function and more in their ideological and propagandistic value within the broader framework of Assyrian royal representation. |
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