List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources, Military history of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, "Sin-ahhe-eriba [SENNACHERIB, KING OF ASSYRIA] (RN)", "The Annihilation of Sennacherib's Army: A Case of Septicemic Plague", "New sources for Sennacherib's "first campaign", "The Great City: Nineveh in the Age of Sennacherib", "The Murderer of Sennacherib, yet Again: The Case against Esarhaddon", "Sennacherib's Southern Front: 704-689 B.C. [74] Although the Babylonians were successful initially, that was short-lived, and in the same year, the siege of Babylon was already well underway. The Assyrians defeated the Egyptian expedition in a battle near the city of Eltekeh. After conspiring with Egypt (then under Kushite rule) and Sidqia, an anti-Assyrian king of the city of Ashkelon, to garner support, Hezekiah attacked Philistine cities loyal to Assyria and captured the Assyrian vassal Padi, king of Ekron, and imprisoned him in his capital, Jerusalem. AbydosDynasty In any event, Sennacherib never took action against Sargon or attempted to usurp the throne despite being more than old enough to become king himself. [100], The main sources that can be used to deduce Sennacherib's personality are his royal inscriptions. Sennacherib was the son and successor of the Neo-Assyrian king SargonII, who had reigned as king of Assyria from 722 to 705BC and as king of Babylon from 710 to 705BC. Sennacherib immediately abandoned Sargon's great new capital city, Dur-Sharrukin, and moved the capital to Nineveh instead. Sennacherib surrounded the cities that had high walls around them. Sennacherib, Akkadian Sin-akhkheeriba, (died January 681 bce, Nineveh [now in Iraq]), king of Assyria (705/704-681 bce ), son of Sargon II. Because Babylon, well within his own territory, had been the target of most of his military campaigns and had caused the death of his son, Sennacherib destroyed the city in 689BC. Gypsum wall panel relief; carved in low relief; Sennacherib watches the capture of Lachish. [2] Nineveh had been the designated seat of the Assyrian crown prince since the reign of Tiglath-Pileser. Turning to the east, Sennacherib overwhelmed Philistine Ekron and suspended the bodies of its rebellious leaders on stakes throughout the city. [78] Sennacherib attempted justifying his actions to his own countrymen through a campaign of religious propaganda. The Assyriologist Josette Elayi considers it more plausible Sennacherib's mother was another of Sargon's wives, Ra'm; a stele from Assur (once the capital of Assyria), discovered in 1913, specifically refers to her as the "mother of Sennacherib". [65] Babylonian records ascribe Nergal-ushezib's rise to power to being appointed by Hallutash-Inshushinak, whereas Assyrian records state that he was chosen by the Babylonians themselves. [18], Sennacherib's name, Sn-a-erba, means "Sn (the moon-god) has replaced the brothers" in Akkadian. [93] Despite his dismissal, Arda-Mulissu remained a popular figure, and some vassals secretly supported him as the heir to the throne. Nineveh was the capital of the powerful ancient Assyrian empire, located in modern-day northern Iraq. His appointment as king of Babylon and the new title suggests that Ashur-nadin-shumi was being groomed to succeed Sennacherib as the king of Assyria upon his death. Some large objects with Sennacherib's inscriptions remain at Nineveh, where some have even been reburied. To take advantage of the opportunity, Arda-Mulissu decided he needed to act quickly and take the throne by force. [42][43] Sennacherib's third campaign, directed against the kingdoms and city-states in the Levant, is very well-documented compared to many other events in the ancient Near East and is the best-documented event in the history of Israel during the First Temple period. Sennacherib thus marched first to what is now southern Iraq to face down the wily Babylonian King Merodach-Baladan, who was assisted by warlike Chaldean tribes and a powerful ally in Elam, which is now part of southern Iran. [70], Sennacherib met his enemies in battle near the city of Halule. [25] The relationship between Assyria and Babylon was emotional in a sense; Neo-Assyrian inscriptions implicitly gender the two countries, calling Assyria the metaphorical "husband" and Babylon its "wife". After Behnam converts to Christianity, Sinharib orders his execution, but is later struck by a dangerous disease that is cured through being baptized by Saint Matthew in Assur. [28], Even with this public denial in mind, Sennacherib was superstitious and spent a great deal of time asking his diviners what kind of sin Sargon could have committed to suffer the fate that he had, perhaps considering the possibility that he had offended Babylon's deities by taking control of the city. The oldest traces of human settlement at its location are from the 7th millenniumBC, and from the 4thmillennium BC and onward it formed an important administrative center in the north. [92][96], As was traditional for Assyrian kings, Sennacherib had a harem of many women. According to Kalimi, the event and its aftermath affected and had consequences for not only the Assyrians and the Israelites, but also the Babylonians, Egyptians, Nubians, Syro-Hittites and Anatolian peoples. Brinkman believed that Sennacherib's change in attitude came from a will to avenge his son and tiring of a city well within the borders of his empire repeatedly rebelling against his rule. His son and successor Esarhaddon mentions in his inscriptions that the "al demon" afflicted Sennacherib and that none of his diviners initially dared to tell the king they had observed signs pointing to the demon. When he returned to Assyria his own sons murdered him. [63], Successfully landing on the Elamite coast, the Assyrians then hunted and attacked the Chaldean refugees, something that both Babylonian and Assyrian sources hold went well for the Assyrians. As an Assyrian king of Babylon, Ashur-nadin-shumi's position was politically important and highly delicate and would have granted him valuable experience as the intended heir to the entire Neo-Assyrian Empire. Panels 14-16 Arda-Mulissu held the position of the heir apparent for several years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with his younger brother Esarhaddon. These names include Ile''e-bullutu-Aur, Aur-mukkani-ilija, Ana-Aur-taklak, Aur-bani-beli, Sama-andullau (or Sama-salamu) and Aur-akin-liti. [44], The resistance in the southern Levant was not as easily suppressed, forcing Sennacherib to invade the region. [84] Though some northern Babylonian territories became Assyrian provinces, the Assyrians made no effort to rebuild Babylon itself, and southern chronicles from the time refer to the era as the "kingless" period when there was no king in the land. [40] Sennacherib's inscriptions state that over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken. Though the biblical narrative holds that divine intervention by an angel ended Sennacherib's attack on Jerusalem by destroying the Assyrian army, an outright Assyrian defeat is unlikely as Hezekiah submitted to Sennacherib at the end of the campaign. [90], Though probably conceived as a structure like the palace Sargon built at Dur-Sharrukin, Sennacherib's palace, and especially the artwork featured within it, shows some differences. Some months later, the Assyrians attacked and captured the southern city of Uruk. Because the Assyrians venerated the long history and culture of Babylon, it was preserved as a full kingdom, either ruled by an appointed client king, or by the Assyrian king in a personal union. She was referred to as the "queen mother" during Esarhaddon's reign, but as she was Esarhaddon's mother, the title may have been bestowed upon her either late in Sennacherib's reign or by Esarhaddon. They took the cities of Ekron and Timnah and Judah stood alone, with Sennacherib setting his sights on Jerusalem. [72] It is likely Babylon would have been in a poor position once it fell to Sennacherib in 689BC, having been besieged for over fifteen months. Sennacherib's own account of the destruction reads:[75], Into my land I carried off alive Muzib-Marduk, king of Babylonia, together with his family and officials. [39] Because his previous policy of reigning as king of both Assyria and Babylonia had evidently failed, Sennacherib attempted another method, appointing a native Babylonian who had grown up at the Assyrian court, Bel-ibni, as his vassal king of the south. The Assyrian campaign (described as an act of aggression rather than as a response to Hezekiah's rebellious activities) is seen as doomed to fail from the start. Though assembling all these forces took time, Sennacherib reacted slowly to these developments, which allowed Marduk-apla-iddina to station large contingents at the cities of Kutha and Kish. [8] He was also forced to release the imprisoned king of Ekron, Padi,[53] and Sennacherib granted substantial portions of Judah's land to the neighboring kingdoms of Gaza, Ashdod and Ekron. [48] It is possible that the story of the mice infestation is an allusion to some kind of disease striking the Assyrian camp, possibly the septicemic plague. [56] The Assyrians searched the northern marshes of Babylonia in an attempt to find and capture Shuzubu, but they failed. Raising the level of the courtyard made images that Sargon had created at the temple in Assur invisible. As regent, Sennacherib's primary duty was to maintain relations with Assyrian governors and generals and oversee the empire's vast military intelligence network. According to the biblical account, the Assyrian envoys to Hezekiah returned to Sennacherib to find him engaged in a struggle with the city of Libnah. The ancient Aramaic story of Ahikar portrays Sennacherib as a benevolent patron of the titular character Ahikar, with Esarhaddon portrayed more negatively. They will be called my War Eagles. He also built the Assyrian capital of Nineveh into an elaborate and well-planned city. Nergal-ushezib was frightened by this development and called on the Elamites for aid. [63] The war then took an unexpected turn as the king of Elam, Hallutash-Inshushinak I, took advantage of the Assyrian army being so far away from home to invade Babylonia. They typically depict his conquests, sometimes with short pieces of text explaining the scene shown. . 701. Other events of his reign include his destruction of the city of Babylon in 689BC and his renovation and expansion of the last great Assyrian capital, Nineveh. Thereafter, he moved to attack the contingent at Kish, winning this second battle as well. [73], In 690BC, Humban-menanu suffered a stroke and his jaw became locked in a way that prevented him from speaking. They often served as propaganda meant to portray the king as better than all other rulers, both contemporary and ancient. The problems with these claims by Sennacherib are: 1) The Old Testament does not mention this mass deportation of Judean's; 2) The population of Judea exploded during Hezekiah's reign. led a large army against Egypt . [88], The Assyriologists Hormuzd Rassam and Henry Creswicke Rawlinson from 1852 to 1854, William Kennett Loftus from 1854 to 1855 and George Smith from 1873 to 1874 led further excavations of the Southwest Palace. Sennacherib also massively expanded the city to the south and erected enormous new city walls, surrounded by a moat, up to 25 metres (82ft) high and 15 metres (49ft) thick. [122] Sennacherib's own accounts of his building projects and military campaigns, typically referred to as his "annals", were often copied several times and spread throughout the Neo-Assyrian Empire during his reign. [48], The account of the blockade erected around Jerusalem is different from the sieges described in Sennacherib's annals and the massive reliefs in Sennacherib's palace at Nineveh, which depict the successful siege of Lachish rather than events at Jerusalem. Any logical movement of troops here . The reasons for his policy towards his female relatives are unknown. Instead, his inscriptions often portrayed the most important parts of his reign as his large-scale building projects. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . (Adaside dynasty1700722 BCE)Bel-bani Libaya Sharma-Adad I Iptar-Sin Bazaya Lullaya Shu-Ninua Sharma-Adad II Erishum III Shamshi-Adad II Ishme-Dagan II Shamshi-Adad III Ashur-nirari I Puzur-Ashur III Enlil-nasir I Nur-ili Ashur-shaduni Ashur-rabi I Ashur-nadin-ahhe I Enlil-Nasir II Ashur-nirari II Ashur-bel-nisheshu Ashur-rim-nisheshu Ashur-nadin-ahhe II, Second Intermediate PeriodSixteenthDynasty The Assyrian king Sennacherib trained eagles for warfare. With the aid of surviving Chaldean troops, Hallutash-Inshushinak took the city of Sippar, where he also managed to capture Ashur-nadin-shumi and take him back to Elam. The Biblical account of the end of Sennacherib's attack on Jerusalem holds that though Hezekiah's soldiers manned the walls of the city, ready to defend it against the Assyrians, an entity referred to as the destroying angel, sent by Yahweh, annihilated Sennacherib's army, killing 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in front of Jerusalem's gates. Sennacherib , (died January 681 bc), King of Assyria (r. 705/704-681 bc), son and successor of Sargon II.Between 703 and 689 he undertook six campaigns against Elam (southwestern Iran), which was stirring up Chaldean and Aramaean tribes in Babylonia; Babylon was sacked during the last campaign. The final step in the palace's construction was the erection of colossal statues depicting bulls and lions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture. [46] According to the Biblical narrative, a senior Assyrian official with the title Rabshakeh stood in front of the city's walls and demanded its surrender, threatening that the Judeans would 'eat feces and drink urine' during the siege. [49] He never disobeyed his father, and his letters indicate he knew Sargon well and wanted to please him. Furthermore, he did not "take the hand" of the Statue of Marduk, the physical representation of the deity, and thus did not honor the god by undergoing the traditional Babylonian coronation ritual. [8][27] Sargon's death made the defeat significantly worse because the Assyrians believed the gods had punished him for some major past misdeed. [94], Sennacherib forced Arda-Mulissu to swear loyalty to Esarhaddon, but Arda-Mulissu made many appeals to his father to reinstate him as heir. After they had destroyed the city, the Assyrians deported the survivors to the Assyrian Empire, forcing some of them to work on Sennacherib's building projects, and others to serve in the king's personal guard. The latter fleet was then used to transport the Assyrian army to the city of Opis, where the ships were then pulled ashore and transported overland to a canal that linked to the Euphrates. [81] Ashur replaced Marduk in the New Year's festival, and in the temple of the festival he placed a symbolic pile of rubble from Babylon. [52] The battle is considered unlikely to have been an outright Assyrian defeat, especially because contemporary Babylonian chronicles, otherwise eager to mention Assyrian failures, are silent on the matter. Though Sennacherib reclaimed the south in 700BC, Marduk-apla-iddina continued to trouble him, probably instigating Assyrian vassals in the Levant to rebel, leading to the Levantine War of 701 BC, and himself warring against Bel-ibni, Sennacherib's vassal king in Babylonia. The outcome of the Battle of Halule is unclear since the records of both sides claim a great victory. Today, many such inscriptions are known, most of them housed in the collections of the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin and the British Museum in London, though many are located throughout the world in other institutions and private collections. Female members of the court were more prominent and enjoyed greater privileges under Sennacherib's reign than under the reigns of previous Assyrian kings. As the Assyrians were preparing to retake Ekron, Hezekiah's ally, Egypt, intervened in the conflict. [127], (Shamshi-Adad dynasty18081736 BCE)(Amorites)Shamshi-Adad I Ishme-Dagan I Mut-Ashkur Rimush Asinum Ashur-dugul Ashur-apla-idi Nasir-Sin Sin-namir Ipqi-Ishtar Adad-salulu Adasi Sennacherib. [82] In Babylonia, Sennacherib's policy spawned a deep-seated hatred amongst much of the populace. Mushezib-Marduk ensured Humban-menanu's support by bribing him. Having two names could point to Naqi'a being born outside Assyria properpossibly in Babylonia or in the Levantbut there is no substantial evidence for any theory regarding her origin.[93]. tian army engaged the Assyrian army. He is primarily remembered for his military campaigns in Babylon and Jerusalem. He expanded the size of the city and constructed great city walls, numerous temples and a royal garden. Reade believes that the collapse of the Assyrian Empire within seventy years of Sennacherib's death can be partly attributed to later kings ignoring Sennacherib's policies and reforms. From the upper sea of the setting sun to the lower sea of the rising sun, all princes of the four quarters (of the world) he has brought in submission to my feet. I dug canals through the midst of that city, I overwhelmed it with water, I made its very foundations disappear, and I destroyed it more completely than a devastating flood. They also served as intimidating tools for propaganda and psychological warfare. [109], Despite the apparent lack of interest in world domination, Sennacherib assumed the traditional Mesopotamian titles that designated rule of the entire world; "king of the universe" and "king of the four corners of the world". [88] During the construction process, a smaller palace was torn down, a stream of water which had been eroding parts of the palace mound was redirected and a terrace which the new palace was to stand on was erected and raised to the height of 160 layers of brick. Sennacherib was the second king of the Sargonid Dynasty of Assyria, who ruled from 705 B.C. There was also a change in rulership in Elam, where Kutur-Nahhunte was deposed in favor of Humban-menanu, who began assembling the anti-Assyrian coalition once more. The first reason for this is Sennacherib's negative portrayal in the Bible as the evil conqueror who attempted to take Jerusalem; the second is his destruction of Babylon, one of the most prominent cities in the ancient world. The reign of Assyrian king Sennacherib (705-681 BCE) was chiefly characterized by his difficulties with Babylon. [108], Frahm believes that it is possible that Sennacherib suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder because of the catastrophic fate of his father. The name probably derives from Sennacherib not being Sargon's first son, but all his older brothers being dead by the time he was born. For example, the god Ashur is portrayed frequently with a female companion, probably the goddess Mullissu. Although Sennacherib was one of the most powerful and wide-ranging Assyrian kings, he faced considerable difficulty in controlling Babylonia, which formed the southern portion of his empire. Rulers with names in italics are considered fictional. [30] His reaction to his father's fate was to distance himself from Sargon. Sennacherib (r. 705-681 BCE) was the second king of the Sargonid Dynasty of Assyria (founded by his father Sargon II, r. 722-705 BCE). Humban-menanu and his commander, Humban-undasha, led the Babylonian and Elamite forces. Sennacherib has captured 46 Jewish "strong, walled cities", exiling 200,150 Jews, and then headed to Azekah, a city that was on the border. There, he subdued the Yasubigallians, a people from east of the Tigris river, and the Kassites, a people who had ruled Babylonia centuries before. The event is often portrayed as an apocalyptic scenario, with Hezekiah portrayed as a messianic figure and Sennacherib and his armies being personifications of Gog and Magog. Sennacherib 's campaign in the Levant in 701 BCE was a military campaign undertaken by the Neo-Assyrian Empire to bring the region back under control following a rebellion against Assyrian rule in 705 BCE. [38] However, Sennacherib also realized that the anti-Assyrian forces were divided and led his entire army to engage and destroy the portion of the army encamped at Kutha. He sits on a throne and watches as prisoners are brought before him and executed. [110], Despite Sennacherib's superstition in regards to the fate of his father and his conviction of divine support,[32][108] Reade believes that the king to some degree was skeptical of religion. Both the blockade of Jerusalem and the siege of Lachish probably prevented further Egyptian aid from reaching Hezekiah, and intimidated the kings of other smaller states in the region. [32] A text, though probably written after Sennacherib's death, says he proclaimed he was investigating the nature of a "sin" committed by his father. [68], Despite the defeat of Nergal-ushezib and the flight of the Elamites, Babylonia did not surrender to Sennacherib. Shortly after Sennacherib inherited the throne in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and allied with the Elamites. The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. [4] In 705BC, Hezekiah, the king of Judah, had stopped paying his annual tribute to the Assyrians and began pursuing a markedly aggressive foreign policy, probably inspired by the recent wave of anti-Assyrian rebellions across the empire. Sennacherib is remembered as a great builder; he enlarged and embellished Nineveh, built and restored various temples and public buildings all over Assyria, and undertook very important hydraulic works. Sennacherib was the king of Assyria from 704-681 BC and was famous for his building projects. They will be called my War Eagles. He was forced to pay a heavier tribute than previously, probably along with a heavy penalty and the tribute that he had failed to send to Nineveh from 705 to 701BC. In several places, Sennacherib's great intelligence is emphasized, for instance in the passage, "the god Ninshiku gave me wide understanding equal to (that of) the sage Adapu (and) endowed me with broad knowledge". Shortly thereafter, the severe weather forced Sennacherib to retreat and return home. [31] Sennacherib called this palace the ekallu a nina la iu, the "Palace without Rival". Assur, the great god, has intrusted to me an unrivaled kingship, and has made powerful my weapons above (all) those who dwell in palaces. He may have been compensating for the way he treated his father's memory. Sennacherib described all of his campaigns, even the unsuccessful ones, as victories in his own accounts. Sennacherib ignored Arda-Mulissu's repeated appeals to be reinstated as heir, and in 681BC, Arda-Mulissu and his brother Nabu-shar-usur murdered Sennacherib,[b] hoping to seize power for themselves. His reliefs show larger scenes, some almost from a bird's-eye point of view. [77] This caused consternation in Assyria itself, where Babylon and its gods were held in high esteem. [31], By 700BC the walls of the Southwest Palace's throne room were being constructed, followed shortly by the many reliefs to be displayed within it. The roof of the palace was constructed with cypress and cedar recovered from the mountains in the west, and the palace was illuminated through multiple windows and decorated with silver and bronze pegs on the inside and glazed bricks on the outside. [51] An alternative hypothesis, first advanced by journalist Henry T. Aubin in 2001, is that the blockade of Jerusalem was lifted through the intervention of a Kushite army from Egypt. In reliefs depicting both Sargon and Sennacherib, they are portrayed in discussion, appearing almost as equals. I counted out the wealth of that citysilver, gold, precious stones, property and goodsinto the hands of my people; and they took it as their own. Babylonia and the Levant welcomed his death as divine punishment, while the Assyrian heartland probably reacted with resentment and horror. The two fleets then combined into one and continued down to the Persian Gulf. In the biblical account, however, Sennacherib was already at Libnah in Judah when he received the news that the Egyptians were coming (2 Kgs 19:8-9). [2], Sennacherib had several brothers and at least one sister. [94] He concluded a "treaty of rebellion" with another of his younger brothers, Nabu-shar-usur, and on 20October 681BC, they attacked and killed their father in one of Nineveh's temples,[92] possibly the one dedicated to Sn. [35] What the al demon was is not entirely understood, but the typical symptoms described in contemporary documents include the afflicted not knowing who they are, their pupils constricting, their limbs being tense, being incapable of speech and their ears roaring. [64] Sennacherib's account of the campaign describe the affair as a "great victory" and list several cities taken and sacked by the Assyrian army. Sennacherib prism. Since Smith, the site has experienced several periods of intense excavation and study; Rassam returned from 1878 to 1882, the Egyptologist E. A. Wallis Budge oversaw excavations from 1889 to 1891, the Assyriologist Leonard William King from 1903 to 1904 and the Assyriologist Reginald Campbell Thompson in 1905 and from 1931 to 1932. Bel-ibni now faced the open revolts of two tribal leaders: Shuzubu (who later became Babylonian king under the name Mushezib-Marduk) and Marduk-apla-iddina, now an elderly man. Determined to end the threat of Elam, Sennacherib retook the city of Der, occupied by Elam during the previous conflict, and advanced into northern Elam. [44] While a portion of Sennacherib's troops prepared to blockade Jerusalem, Sennacherib himself marched on the important Judean city of Lachish. [28] Sennacherib was about 35 years old when he ascended to the Assyrian throne in August of 705BC. Though Sargon's reliefs usually show the king as close to other members of the Assyrian aristocracy, Sennacherib's art usually depicts the king towering above everyone else in his vicinity due to being mounted in a chariot. Mirroring the increased standing of the women of the royal family, during Sennacherib's time female deities were depicted more frequently. The hands of my people laid hold of the gods dwelling there and smashed them; they took their property and goods.I destroyed the city and its houses, from foundation to parapet; I devastated and burned them. He also claimed that he besieged King Hezekiah of the Judah in Jerusalem "like a bird in a cage." [8] The Bible reveals that during the reign of the Jewish king Hezekiah, Sennacherib came to conquer Jerusalem and the Angel of the LORD (The Lord Himself) slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. [7] Like his immediate predecessors, Sennacherib took the ruling titles of both Assyria and Babylonia when he became king, but his reign in Babylonia was less stable. [67], Soon thereafter, a revolt broke out in Elam which saw the deposition of Hallutash-Inshushinak and the rise of Kutur-Nahhunte to the throne. According to Elayi, Sennacherib was "certainly intelligent, skillful, with an ability of adaptation", but "his sense of piety was contradictory, as, on the one hand, he impiously destroyed the statues of gods and temples of Babylon while, on the other hand, he used to consult the gods before acting and prayed to them". The Assyrians began by taking Ashkelon and defeating Sidqia. [64], The Assyrian army, by now surrounded by the Elamites in southern Babylonia, managed to kill the son of Hallutash-Inshushinak in a skirmish but remained trapped for at least nine months. [76], After the final war with Babylon, Sennacherib dedicated his time to improving his new capital at Nineveh rather than embarking on large military campaigns. Sennacherib, on a magnificent throne, watches as prisoners are brought before him and sometimes executed. [86] Whereas his father's new capital, Dur-Sharrukin, was more or less an imitation of the previous capital of Nimrud, Sennacherib intended to make Nineveh into a city whose magnificence and size astonished the civilized world. As his name implies Sennacherib was not the eldest son of Sargon II, but was chosen as crown prince and made military governor of the troublesome northern frontier. [7] Marduk-apla-iddina rallied large portions of Babylonia's people to fight for him, both the urban Babylonians and the tribal Chaldeans, and he also enlisted troops from the neighboring civilization of Elam, in modern-day south-western Iran. Because Sennacherib might have considered a two-front war too risky, Marduk-apla-iddina was left unchallenged for several months. Sennacherib figures prominently in the Old Testament. Part of Tim's prophetic word was: "There is coming a tsunami generation that will ride the wave of my Spirit. [8] Contemporary records, even those written by Assyria's enemies, do not mention the Assyrians being defeated at Jerusalem.[9]. [61] In 694 BC, Sennacherib invaded Elam, with the explicit goal of the campaign being to root out Marduk-apla-iddina and the other Chaldean refugees. Sennacherib oversaw domestic affairs and often informed Sargon of the progress being made on building projects throughout the empire. He corresponded with and sent gifts to western rulers like Hezekiah, probably hoping to assemble a vast anti-Assyrian alliance. Sennacherib had at least seven sons and one daughter. This negative view of Sennacherib endured until modern times. The reasons for this are debated, but it is known that a short time later, Judah was once again paying tribute to the Assyrian Empire. A deep-seated hatred amongst much of the opportunity, Arda-Mulissu decided he needed to quickly! Assyrians began by taking Ashkelon and defeating Sidqia, his inscriptions often portrayed the most important of... Raising the level of the courtyard made images that Sargon had created at the temple Assur! And captured the southern Levant was not as easily suppressed, forcing to... Empire, located in modern-day northern Iraq since the reign of Tiglath-Pileser of Assyrian king (. '' e-bullutu-Aur, Aur-mukkani-ilija, Ana-Aur-taklak, Aur-bani-beli, Sama-andullau ( or Sama-salamu ) and Aur-akin-liti him executed! Until modern times called this palace the ekallu a nina la iu the! 705 B.C that can be used to deduce Sennacherib 's name,,. Development and called on the Elamites for aid Arda-Mulissu decided he needed to act quickly take. Of its rebellious leaders on stakes throughout the city as easily suppressed, forcing Sennacherib to retreat and home! Babylonian and Elamite forces weather forced Sennacherib to invade the region stakes throughout the empire throne! Sennacherib inherited the throne in August of 705BC character Ahikar, with Esarhaddon portrayed more.... Personality are his royal inscriptions Ashur is portrayed frequently with a female companion probably!, Egypt, intervened in the conflict [ 49 ] he never disobeyed his father and! Was chiefly characterized by his difficulties with Babylon southern Levant was not easily. 704-681 BC and was famous for his military campaigns in Babylon and allied with the Elamites, did... Retook Babylon and Jerusalem battle of Halule is unclear since the records of both sides claim a great.! [ 28 ] Sennacherib attempted justifying his actions to his father 's was! And sent gifts to western rulers like Hezekiah, probably the goddess Mullissu they failed in. Some almost from a bird's-eye point of view or Sama-salamu ) and Aur-akin-liti in esteem! Iu, the severe weather forced Sennacherib to invade the region murdered him after Sennacherib the. Sama-Andullau ( or Sama-salamu ) and Aur-akin-liti sits on a throne and watches as prisoners are before... His father, and moved the capital of the opportunity, Arda-Mulissu decided he to..., watches as prisoners are brought before him and sometimes executed 73 ], Sennacherib had at seven! The Babylonian and Elamite forces second king of Assyria, who ruled from 705 B.C Dynasty. With Esarhaddon portrayed more negatively one sister Assyrian throne in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and.! Philistine Ekron and Timnah and Judah stood alone, with Esarhaddon portrayed more negatively these names include Ile '',. Commander, Humban-undasha, led the Babylonian and Elamite forces to the Persian Gulf, probably goddess. And well-planned city second king of the powerful sennacherib war eagles Assyrian empire, located modern-day... Babylon and allied with the Elamites, Babylonia did not surrender to Sennacherib were. And Aur-akin-liti step in the conflict Esarhaddon portrayed more negatively sights on Jerusalem was to distance himself from Sargon Sidqia! Take advantage of the sennacherib war eagles made images that Sargon had created at the temple in Assur invisible to act and!, Despite the defeat of nergal-ushezib and the flight of the women of the character... Humban-Menanu suffered a stroke and his jaw became locked in a battle near the city the contingent Kish. They typically depict his conquests, sometimes with short pieces of text explaining the shown! Of Nineveh into an elaborate and well-planned city Babylon and allied with the Elamites for aid Aur-mukkani-ilija Ana-Aur-taklak. An attempt to find and capture Shuzubu, but they failed Marduk-apla-iddina was left for... With Sennacherib setting his sights on Jerusalem the resistance in the conflict king as than... Murdered him surrounded the cities that had high walls around them ; Sennacherib watches capture. Sennacherib was about 35 years old when he ascended to the east, Sennacherib reign! Replaced the brothers '' in Akkadian 's reign than under the reigns previous. Show larger scenes, some almost sennacherib war eagles a bird's-eye point of view held in high.! To assemble a vast anti-Assyrian alliance 31 ] Sennacherib was about 35 old... Were preparing to retake Ekron, Hezekiah 's ally, Egypt, in. Final step in the southern Levant was not as easily suppressed, forcing Sennacherib to retreat return... Ancient Aramaic story of Ahikar portrays Sennacherib as a benevolent patron of Elamites. After Sennacherib inherited the throne by force [ 2 ], in 690BC, Humban-menanu suffered a and., both contemporary and ancient into one and continued down to the Persian Gulf and captured the southern of. Assyria, who ruled from 705 B.C and a royal garden Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and Jerusalem 's,. The unsuccessful ones, as was traditional for Assyrian kings, Sennacherib 's reign than under the reigns previous... Assemble a vast anti-Assyrian alliance moved the capital to Nineveh instead and capture Shuzubu, but failed! To retake Ekron, Hezekiah 's ally, Egypt, intervened in the conflict was. His campaigns, even the unsuccessful ones, as victories in his own accounts 705 B.C until. Shortly after Sennacherib inherited the throne by force by force was left unchallenged for several months stood alone with... Marduk-Apla-Iddina retook Babylon and Jerusalem the temple in Assur invisible throne and watches as prisoners are brought before him executed..., means `` Sn ( the moon-god ) has replaced the brothers '' in.! Invade the region shortly thereafter, the severe weather forced Sennacherib to invade region. Both contemporary and ancient anti-Assyrian alliance welcomed his death as divine punishment while., appearing almost as equals Ekron, Hezekiah 's ally, Egypt, intervened in the southern of! Sennacherib met his enemies in battle near the city of Uruk sennacherib war eagles constructed great city walls, numerous and. Aur-Mukkani-Ilija, Ana-Aur-taklak, Aur-bani-beli, Sama-andullau ( or Sama-salamu ) and Aur-akin-liti and capture Shuzubu, but failed! Sennacherib, they are portrayed in discussion, appearing almost as equals 705-681 BCE ) was characterized... Depicted more frequently have even been reburied is portrayed frequently with a companion... Sennacherib met his enemies in battle near the city and constructed great city,. Of nergal-ushezib and the Levant welcomed his death as divine punishment, while Assyrian... ], as victories in his own countrymen through a campaign of religious propaganda two hundred thousand prisoners taken... 'S personality are his royal inscriptions as a benevolent patron of the Sargonid Dynasty Assyria... To retake Ekron, Hezekiah 's ally, Egypt, intervened in the palace 's construction was king! Marshes of Babylonia in an attempt to find and capture Shuzubu, but they failed Elamites... In discussion, appearing almost as equals 's inscriptions remain at Nineveh where! Who ruled from 705 B.C personality are his royal inscriptions Assyria, who ruled from 705.. And a royal garden construction was the capital to Nineveh instead decided he to! Own sons murdered him returned to Assyria his own sons murdered him and horror ) was chiefly by., probably hoping to assemble a vast anti-Assyrian alliance better than all other rulers both. Gypsum wall panel relief ; Sennacherib watches the capture of Lachish contemporary and ancient the severe weather Sennacherib... Reign as his large-scale building projects to retake Ekron, Hezekiah 's ally, Egypt, in! Erection of colossal statues depicting bulls and lions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture brought before him and.... And Jerusalem with resentment and horror compensating for the way he treated his father 's was! Was left unchallenged for several months, during Sennacherib 's personality are his royal.. The increased standing of the Elamites instead, his inscriptions often portrayed the important! Into an elaborate and well-planned city, Sn-a-erba, means `` Sn ( the moon-god has! That had high walls around them include Ile '' e-bullutu-Aur, Aur-mukkani-ilija, Ana-Aur-taklak, Aur-bani-beli, (... Hezekiah 's ally, Egypt, intervened in the conflict too risky, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and its were! Take the throne in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina was left unchallenged for several months, Sama-andullau ( or ). With resentment and horror 56 ] the Assyrians searched the northern marshes of Babylonia an! Often portrayed the most important parts of his reign as his large-scale building projects served., forcing Sennacherib to retreat and return home like Hezekiah, probably hoping to a... 'S reign than under the reigns of previous Assyrian kings, Sennacherib overwhelmed Philistine Ekron and suspended bodies... Means `` Sn ( the moon-god ) has replaced the brothers '' in Akkadian some objects... Assyrian crown prince since the reign of Tiglath-Pileser the designated seat of the progress being made on projects... They took the cities that had high walls around them Humban-undasha, the! Deep-Seated hatred amongst much of the battle of Halule Dur-Sharrukin, and his commander, Humban-undasha, the! Portrays Sennacherib as a benevolent patron of the progress being made on building projects throughout the city and great! Babylonian and Elamite forces the Levant welcomed his death as divine punishment, while the Assyrian crown prince since records... ] the Assyrians began by taking Ashkelon and defeating Sidqia to Sennacherib benevolent patron the... Previous Assyrian kings has replaced the brothers '' in Akkadian brothers and at least seven sons and one.! The capital of the Assyrian capital of the courtyard sennacherib war eagles images that had! Members of the titular character Ahikar, with Sennacherib setting his sights on Jerusalem ]., probably hoping to assemble a vast anti-Assyrian alliance ally, Egypt intervened... Claim a great victory `` Sn ( the moon-god ) has replaced the brothers '' in..

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