Qarqar

Qarqar or Karkar is the name of an ancient town in northwestern Syria, known from Neo-Assyrian sources. It was the site of one of the most important battles of the ancient world, the battle of Qarqar, fought in 853 BC when the army of Assyria, led by king Shalmaneser III, encountered an allied force comprising military units from 11 local kingdoms. The leaders of this ad hoc alliance were Hadadezer of Damascus and King Ahab of Israel. Shalmaneser's Assyrian forces had been victorious over Iruleni, the King of Hamath. However, a coalition of Phoenicians and Syrians with Israel and the Kedarite Arabs was waiting for Shalmaneser when he advanced south, leading to a second battle at Qarqar itself. ()