Known in the Bible as King Pul (2 Kings 15.19), he was a strong ruler who reorganized the Assyrian Empire which had fallen to ruin under previous weak rulers. Tiglath Pileser III subdued Armenia, and the Urartu kingdom was held in check. He occupied Damascus and made all of Syria tributary. This time the local ruling party was sent into exile and substituted with leaders from Assyria. These leaders were under his direct control.