In 727 BCE, the death of Tiglath-Pileser III—one of Assyria’s greatest reformers and conquerors—brought to the throne his son Ululayu, known to history by his regnal name Shalmaneser V. This episode of Oldest Stories examines the short, poorly documented, yet pivotal reign of Shalmaneser the Least, exploring the troubled transition between the age of Tiglath-Pileser’s reform and the rise of Sargon II. Drawing on fragmentary Assyrian records, biblical sources, and archaeological evidence, the episode reconstructs the domestic policies, fiscal reforms, and failed campaigns that defined his rule.

Listeners will learn how Shalmaneser attempted to standardize taxation and weights across the empire—introducing the controversial “Mina of the King”—and how these bureaucratic experiments may have destabilized the nobility and provoked internal dissent. His reign also saw major events in the wider Near East: the rebellion of King Hoshea of Israel, the long siege of Samaria described in the Book of Kings, and the abortive Assyrian assault on Tyre. Despite ruling over the largest empire yet known, Shalmaneser’s administrative mediocrity and ill-fated reforms undermined Assyria’s stability, paving the way for Sargon’s coup and the beginning of the Sargonid dynasty.

This episode situates Shalmaneser V within the broader arc of Neo-Assyrian history, from the administrative innovations of Tiglath-Pileser III to the ideological and military transformations of Sargon II. It explores key themes in ancient Near Eastern politics, including royal succession, imperial bureaucracy, taxation, and the interaction between Assyria and Israel. Ideal for students of Assyriology, biblical studies, and ancient history, “Shalmaneser the Least” offers a detailed look at one of the empire’s most obscure yet consequential rulers.

Keywords: Shalmaneser V, Tiglath-Pileser III, Neo-Assyrian Empire, Assyria, Babylon, Sargon II, Samaria, Hoshea, Israel, Tyre, Assyrian kings, Near Eastern history, biblical archaeology, Assyrian reforms, ancient Mesopotamia.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

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Yes, there are more important things in the Syro-Ephraimite war than Israel's defeat, but the whole three year campaign is hugely important in world history, even if the things we consider to have been important were really just sort of side shows to the main action. We follow the full campaign in detail as Tiglath-Pileser confirms his final near eastern conquest.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

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Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.

Nathaniel Heutmaker of the Grail Sciences Podcast and James Bleckley of the Oldest Stories podcast sat down to discuss Mesopotamian myth from an occult perspective. But they ended up sitting for hours and hours over multiple days and got off track more than once. Because I find a bunch of it interesting, I cut the most interesting clips together for you today, so hear you can hear Nathaniel's take on the oldest archeological findings, King Arthur, Josephus, and more!

The Grail Sciences Podcast covers the deeper meaning of the Holy Grail and a variety of occult topics. Nathaniel is deeply read in a variety of world traditions, and expertly weaves it all together over at grailsciences.com/

The Oldest Stories Podcast covers the history, myth, and culture of ancient Mesopotamia, from the invention of writing until the fall of Nabonidas. James has been filling out the story of the oldest civilization for over 6 years at oldeststories.net

Gilgamesh is the oldest and greatest hero of recorded human legend. The epic as a whole questions what it means to be human, warns of the dangers of spurning a beautiful woman, and meditates deeply on the meaning of immortality. All that plus a good adventure story at the same time! James Bleckley of the Oldest Stories Podcast sits down with Nathaniel Heutmaker of the Grail Sciences Podcast to discuss this ancient tale from both an historical and an occult perspective.

The Grail Sciences Podcast covers the deeper meaning of the Holy Grail and a variety of occult topics. Nathaniel is deeply read in a variety of world traditions, and expertly weaves it all together over at grailsciences.com/

The Oldest Stories Podcast covers the history, myth, and culture of ancient Mesopotamia, from the invention of writing until the fall of Nabonidas. James has been filling out the story of the oldest civilization for over 6 years at oldeststories.net

Dumuzid, the oldest known exemplar of the dying and rising king, is also in many ways the most exceptional. Lover of Inanna, he was apparently quite done with her passionate antics and celebrated when she died, only to be dragged into the underworld for his impiety. But what does it really mean and why has the image endured? James Bleckley of the Oldest Stories Podcast sits down with Nathaniel Heutmaker of the Grail Sciences Podcast to discuss this ancient tale from both an historical and an occult perspective.

The Grail Sciences Podcast covers the deeper meaning of the Holy Grail and a variety of occult topics. Nathaniel is deeply read in a variety of world traditions, and expertly weaves it all together over at grailsciences.com/

The Oldest Stories Podcast covers the history, myth, and culture of ancient Mesopotamia, from the invention of writing until the fall of Nabonidas. James has been filling out the story of the oldest civilization for over 6 years at oldeststories.net

Inanna, queen of heaven, who descended into the underworld. It is among the oldest stories of the mythology of the world, but also one of the most significant. James Bleckley of the Oldest Stories Podcast sits down with Nathaniel Heutmaker of the Grail Sciences Podcast to discuss this ancient tale from both an historical and an occult perspective.

The Grail Sciences Podcast covers the deeper meaning of the Holy Grail and a variety of occult topics. Nathaniel is deeply read in a variety of world traditions, and expertly weaves it all together over at grailsciences.com/

The Oldest Stories Podcast covers the history, myth, and culture of ancient Mesopotamia, from the invention of writing until the fall of Nabonidas. James has been filling out the story of the oldest civilization for over 6 years at oldeststories.net

In this episode of Oldest Stories, we explore the later reign of Tiglath-Pileser III, one of the most transformative kings of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. By the late 8th century BCE, Assyria’s power seemed unstoppable, yet beneath the victories lay structural weaknesses.

We examine four key failures that reveal how the empire actually worked:

The eastern provincial revolts of 737 BCE, exposing the limits of Assyria’s new provincial system.

The failed Assyrian siege of Tushpa, capital of Urartu, and what it taught about siege warfare and logistics.

The Babylonian crisis of the 730s, where Chaldeans, Arameans, and internal rebellions undermined Assyria’s southern policy.

The succession struggle following Tiglath-Pileser’s death, setting the stage for Shalmaneser V and the rise of Sargon II.

Along the way we look at Assyrian reforms, deportation policies, eunuch officials, Assyrian-Babylonian relations, and Urartian resistance. We also discuss how propaganda, letters, and oracles shaped royal decisions, and why even the greatest reforming king of Assyria faced real limits to his power.

If you are interested in Ancient Mesopotamia, Assyrian history, Babylon, Urartu, Neo-Assyrian military reforms, biblical history, or the geopolitics of the ancient Near East, this episode will give you an in-depth, historically grounded perspective.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.

What do mass deportation, smashed testicles, and elite boarding schools have in common? In this episode, we take a hard look at the shockingly effective—and horrifyingly brutal—bureaucratic machine that powered the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

With the rise of Tiglath-Pileser III in the 8th century BCE, Assyria transformed into one of the most ruthlessly efficient states the ancient world had ever seen. At the center of it all? Castrated boys turned bureaucrats—eunuchs molded through violence, trained in literacy, logistics, and loyalty, and unleashed across the empire as obedient tools of imperial administration.

We dig deep into the Musharkisu, Assyrian deportation policy, and the Sha Reshutu, the near-invisible palace institution that raised and trained eunuchs. Along the way, we confront the politics of mass resettlement, the logic of destroying elite bloodlines, and the strange fate of disabled foreign boys who became indispensable civil servants.

This isn’t a story of ancient gender theory or Orientalist decadence. It’s the story of state-sponsored brutality, administrative genius, and how the Assyrian Empire created a class of men without legacies—only loyalties.

🔸 Topics covered:

Neo-Assyrian Empire, Tiglath-Pileser III, Assyrian eunuchs (Sa Reshi), Mass deportations & slave economy, Ancient bureaucracy & elite education, Sha Reshutu training institution, Musharkisu officials, Assyrian statecraft & propaganda, Assyrian gender categories, Rise of imperial loyalty pipelines, Historical parallels to modern governance

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.

You have seen the memes, and maybe you are even familiar with them, but today we look at who was the famous Ea-Nasir, why people would buy from him, and what scams he was probably running. We ask how often Mesopotamians complained about things, and we learn a bit along the way.

In this episode, we go far beyond the famous complaint tablet to uncover the full economic and historical context of Ea-Nasir's career:

His rise from wage-earner to property owner - His role in the first global trade network - The truth about the complaints and copper quality scandals - What his archive reveals about Mesopotamian law, shipping, and merchant guilds - And what it means that archaeologists found a box of receipts in his house.

Along the way, we explore the bronze age economy, the origins of writing, and the hidden sophistication of Old Babylonian international commerce. We even follow the trail of copper all the way from Bahrain to Babylon—and maybe all the way to your favorite meme.

Keywords: Ea-Nasir, Mesopotamia, copper merchant, ancient fraud, cuneiform complaint, Old Babylonian trade, Ur city history, bronze age economy, Akkadian history, ancient shipping, Alik Tilmun, Leonard Woolley, Hammurabi era, ancient scams, history meme explained, Babylonian documents

Whether you’re a meme fan, a history buff, or just curious how a 4,000-year-old complaint became internet legend, this is your definitive guide to the oldest business scandal on record.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.

In 743 BCE, Tiglath-Pileser III—known in the Bible as Pul—led the Assyrian Empire into its most powerful and centralized form. This episode of Oldest Stories chronicles the dramatic military and political resurgence of Neo-Assyria as it faced two major threats: the rising Urartian kingdom of Biainilli to the north and the rebellious patchwork of Neo-Hittite and Aramean states in Syria. With detailed narrative drawn from Assyrian royal inscriptions and biblical texts, we explore Tiglath-Pileser’s sweeping campaigns across Kummuhu, Arpad, Ulluba, and the Levant, showcasing how the king combined strategic force marches, sophisticated provincial integration, and unprecedented use of eunuch governors to stabilize and expand imperial rule. From the siege of Arpad to the subjugation of Tyre, Israel, and Simirra, the episode reveals how Assyria subdued the ancient Near East through a fusion of administrative innovation and battlefield supremacy. This pivotal moment in Iron Age history marks the beginning of Assyria’s true imperial age—one defined by aggressive diplomacy, relentless warfare, and the creation of a durable bureaucratic state. For listeners seeking historical insight into ancient warfare, Assyrian governance, biblical archaeology, and the real-world geopolitics behind Old Testament narratives, this is an essential deep dive into one of the greatest military campaigns of the 8th century BCE.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.