And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. (2 Kings 16:10)
This may have been the Uriah who placed his signature on Isaiah’s “great roll” (Isa. 8:1, 2).
An altar.
Whether a Syrian or an Assyrian altar the writer does not reveal, but in view of Tiglath-pileser’s recent victories it was probably Assyrian (see on v. 12). The heathen altar, dedicated to the worship of some heathen god, captured the fancy of the king of Judah. Most scholars agree that Tiglath-pileser required Ahaz to erect an Assyrian altar and offer sacrifices on it as a token of submission to the gods of Assyria. This was a common requirement made of vassal kings.
To Damascus.
The occasion was probably to celebrate Tiglath-pileser’s triumph in Damascus after his capture of the city. Perhaps all the tributary kings of Western Asia were summoned there to give their homage and pay their tribute to the Assyrian ruler.