MENAHEM, one of the latest kings of Israel, was a usurper, like so many other monarchs in this period. He and Shallum planned to seize the throne about the same time (2Ki 15:13 f.), Shallum having possession of Samaria, while Menahem commanded the ancient fortress and former capital, Tirzah. War raged for a brief time with unusual ferocity, resulting in the defeat of Shallum. Menahem seems not to have felt secure on the throne, and to have purchased the help of Assyria by paying a heavy tribute to Tiglath-pileser (called Pul in 2Ki 15:19). Or we may suppose the Assyrians to have invaded the country because it was so weakened by civil war that it could no longer make effective resistance. The tribute was a thousand talents of silver, and it was raised by a direct tax on the holders of landed property. The assessment of sixty shekels each shows that there were sixty thousand proprietors in Israel at this time. From the Assyrian sources we learn that this tribute was paid in the year 738 b.c.

It is interesting to note that in the literature of Judaism Menahem (= 'Comforter') is a title of the Messiah.

H. P. Smith.