Battle of Qarqar
853 BCE · Qarqar, Syria
The Battle of Qarqar was fought in 853 BCE in Qarqar, Syria between Neo-Assyrian Empire vs a coalition of Levantine kings led by Damascus, Hamath and Israel; disputed; Assyria claimed victory but its advance into Syria was halted for years.
Battle of Qarqar: quick facts
- Date
- 853 BCE
- Location
- Qarqar, Syria
- Belligerents
- Neo-Assyrian Empire vs a coalition of Levantine kings led by Damascus, Hamath and Israel
- Commanders
- Shalmaneser III vs Hadadezer of Damascus, Irhuleni of Hamath and Ahab of Israel
- Result
- disputed; Assyria claimed victory but its advance into Syria was halted for years.
- Era
- 🏛️ Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Qarqar?
Shalmaneser III of Assyria led his army westward and was confronted at Qarqar by a coalition of twelve Levantine kingdoms, including Damascus under Hadadezer, Israel under King Ahab (who contributed 2,000 chariots), and Hamath. Though Shalmaneser claimed victory in his royal inscriptions, the fact that he withdrew and did not campaign in the region again for several years suggests the battle was at best a stalemate. It is notable as one of the earliest battles corroborating biblical figures through Assyrian records.
Did you know?
King Ahab of Israel contributed 2,000 chariots to the coalition at Qarqar, the largest chariot force of any single allied king, suggesting Israel was far wealthier than the Bible implies.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Qarqar on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.