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Tiglath-Pileser III or IV (or Tilgath-Pil-neser), was a prominent king of Assyria in the 8th century BC (ruled 744 - 727 BC).

The name Tiglath-Pileser was a throne-name - that is, one given to the king on his accession to the throne, rather than a name given at birth. In translation, it means "my confidence is the son of Esarra." It is given in several different forms in historical records. The Bible records him as Tillegath-pilneser ( 2 Chronicles 28:20) and the much-abbreviated Pul (1 Chronicles 5:26 and 2 Kings 15:19,20). In Assyrian cuneiform, his name is given as Tukulti-apil-esarra, which has been rendered into modern languages as Tiglath-Pileser.

His origins are unknown but he may have been a usurper who assumed the name of a more legitimate predecessor. Under his rule, Assyrian power in the Near East greatly increased as the result of campaigns of conquest mounted against western kingdoms. Assyrian inscriptions record, in the fifth year of his reign ( 739 BC), a victory over Azariah ( Uzziah), king of Judah, whose achievements are described in 2 Chronicles 26:6-15. In 733 BC his armies conquered Philistia (modern LebanonAlternate uses: see Lebanon (disambiguation The Lebanese Republic or Lebanon is a country in Southwest Asia, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered to be one of the fifteen lands that comprise the so-called " Cradle of Humanity". Lebanon is bor) on the Mediterranean coast, destroyed DamascusThis is about Damascus, the capital of Syria. There is also a Damascus, Maryland, a Damascus, Oregon, a Damascus, Pennsylvania, and a Damascus, Virginia. Damascus ( Arabic: Dimashq Dimashq al-Sham al-Sham Tiberian Hebrew Dammeseq Dammseq Sephardi Hebrew D and occupied most of IsraelThis article discusses the State of Israel. For other meanings of Israel see Israel (disambiguation). The State of Israel Medinat Yisrael in Hebrew, Daulat Israil in Arabic) is a country in the Middle East on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea., with its northern regions becoming Assyrian provinces. Many of the inhabitants were enslaved and deported to other parts of the Assyrian empire.

These events were recorded in the Bible, which describes how Tiglath-Pileser III defeated PekahPekah ("open-eyed"), was king of Israel, the son of Remaliah, and a captain in the army of Pekahiah, king of Israel. Albright has dated his reign to 737 732 BC, while Thiele offers the dates 740 732 BC. With the aid of a band of Gileadites, he slew Pekahi, king of IsraelThe Kingdom of Israel Malchut Yisrael in Hebrew), according to the Bible, was the nation formed around 1021BC from the descendants of Jacob, son of Isaac, who was given the name Israel meaning Struggles With God''. Following the death of King Solomon, c 9, and Rezin , king of the Arameans, who had allied against him. He executed Rezin and Pekah was murdered by Hoshea, who took control of the rump Israelite kingdom as a vassal paying tribute to the Assyrians. 2 Kings 15:29; 16:5-9; 1 Chronicles 5:6, 26) Ahaz (known to the Assyrians as Yahu-khazi), the king of Judea, was also forced to pay tribute to the Assyrian conqueror (2 Kings 16:10-16).

Tiglath-Pileser III's conquests paved the way for the establishment of the Second Assyrian Empire. On his death, the Assyrian throne was seized by Ululai, the governor of Babylon, who assumed the name Shalmaneser V.