A coalition of kings from the southern Levant opposed the territorial expansions of the Assyrian king, Shalmaneser III, at the battle of Qarqar in Syria. While Shalmaneser met strong resistance and perhaps lost the battle, he nevertheless set up an inscription called the Kurkh monument to commemorate his victory. Among the participants in the coalition, Shalmaneser lists Ahab, the king of Israel, at the head of 2,000 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers. Since the Bible strangely does not mention this battle, the Assyrian inscription provides the only textual witness of Israel's important involvement in these geopolitical events. The text describes the battle of Qarqar, where Shalmaneser defeated a coalition of seacoast kings, and a coalition of kings from the Levant, including "Ahab the Israelite," who made one of the largest military contributions of 10,000 foot soldiers and 2,000 chariots.

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