ISRAeLITe eMBASSIeS To ASSyRIA 193 melammu of Ashur 63. In his discussion of “continuity and innovation” in ninth-century neo-Assyrian royal ideology and in that of Adad-ni- rari III, Sidall emphasizes the continuity of each of these kings with the themes and ideology of their predecessors 64. each of these kings sought to portray themselves as part of a strong tradition of dynastic continuity. expressions are modified to correspond to the particular achievements of each king, but there is no evidence of large-scale shifts in the ideology expressed in royal inscriptions. Although a cliché, the expression “déjà vu” might accurately describe the experience of Israelite emissaries bringing tribute to the palace of Tiglath-Pileser III in about 740 BCe, and hearing the expressions of Assyrian ideology. The encounter in the Assyrian palaces was the most effective way of conveying this ideology to foreign kingdoms, and this profoundly influenced the elite of these states. This point is highlighted in two re- cent studies. Sidall notes that although discussions of the diffusion of Assyrian royal ideology include “the reliefs on walls, stelae, cliff faces, sculpture and cylinder seals”, “access to all of these media was not universal”, and the empire aimed to convey royal ideology prima- rily to the elite of society who entered the palaces 65. And as we noted, Morrow concludes that diplomatic contacts were the most important channel for communicating Assyrian claims of empire to Judah 66. Thus, the palace audiences emerge as the key vehicle leading to the knowledge of Assyrian royal ideology in the courts of client states, in- cluding Israel and Judah. Assyrian royal ideology, therefore, was known in the kingdom of Israel from the late ninth century and on through the early eighth century. vIII. Conclusion: Implications for the study of prophetic literature in the Hebrew Bible This strongly suggests that we ought to distinguish between the process of transmission of Assyrian imperial ideology to Judah and the process of its transmission to the kingdom of Israel. Israel’s court would have been familiar with Assyrian imperial ideology, with limited 63 See SIDALL, The Reign of Adad-Nirari III, 179. References are to RIMA 3 A.0.104.5:3-10; A.0.104.6:15-17, A.0.104.8:17 64 SIDALL, The Reign of Adad-Nirari III, 167-169, 184-187. 65 SIDALL, The Reign of Adad-Nirari III, 146-147. 66 MoRRoW, “Tribute from Judah”, 186.