A tent is behind him; there is a chariot in the foreground and bodyguards stationed around. He built a large second palace at the city's southern mound, which served as an arsenal to store military equipment and as permanent quarters for part of the Assyrian standing army. 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. 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. For example, the god Ashur is portrayed frequently with a female companion, probably the goddess Mullissu. The population of Babylonia was divided into various ethnic groups with different priorities and ideals. [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. 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. [93] Despite his dismissal, Arda-Mulissu remained a popular figure, and some vassals secretly supported him as the heir to the throne. 32 Hezekiah had been completely faithful to the Lord. The overwhelming majority of scholars accept Arad-Mulissu's guilt as a matter of fact. In his stead, Sennacherib proclaimed a noble by the name Ethbaal as the new king of Sidon and his vassal and oversaw the submission of many of the surrounding cities to his rule. Humban-menanu and his commander, Humban-undasha, led the Babylonian and Elamite forces. Evidence of the increased standing of the royal women includes the larger number of texts referencing Assyrian queens from Sennacherib's reign compared to queens of earlier times, and evidence that Sennacherib's queens had their own standing military units, just like the king. [75] Although Sennacherib had once anxiously considered the implications of Sargon's seizure of Babylon and the role that the city's offended gods may have played in his father's downfall, his attitude towards the city had shifted by 689 BC. The second king of the Sargonid dynasty, Sennacherib is one of the most famous Assyrian kings for the role he plays in the Hebrew Bible, which describes his campaign in the Levant. [32], In 701BC, Sennacherib first moved to attack the Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities in the north. After the death of his eldest son and crown prince, Ashur-nadin-shumi, Sennacherib originally designated his second son Arda-Mulissu heir. 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. . Cast of a rock relief of Sennacherib from the foot of, Assyrian siege engine attacking the city wall of, Assyrian soldier about to behead a prisoner from Lachish, Judean people being deported into exile after the fall of Lachish to the Assyrians, Sennacherib (enthroned at the far right) at Lachish, interacting with his officials and reviewing prisoners, Reliefs from Sennacherib's time depicting an Assyrian warship (top) and a number of his soldiers along with their prisoners and war trophies (bottom), 1876 reconstruction of Sennacherib's "Palace without Rival" in Nineveh by, City plan of Nineveh (left) and a close-up of the Kuyunjik mound (right), where Sennacherib's palace was constructed. Sennacherib oversaw domestic affairs and often informed Sargon of the progress being made on building projects throughout the empire. To take advantage of the opportunity, Arda-Mulissu decided he needed to act quickly and take the throne by force. After distributing such financial resources, Sennacherib sent letters to his father to inform him of his decisions. 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. Other types of non-royal inscriptions from Sennacherib's reign, such as administrative documents, economic documents and chronicles, are more numerous. Although Sennacherib was successful in conquering Lachish and many other Judahite cities and towns, he did not conquer Jerusalem. [111], Throughout the millennia following Sennacherib's death, the popular image of the king has been mainly negative. Mirroring the increased standing of the women of the royal family, during Sennacherib's time female deities were depicted more frequently. Except for Esarhaddon, who is known to be Naqi'a's son, which of Sennacherib's wives were his children's mothers is unknown. [49] The outcome of the Battle of Halule is unclear since the records of both sides claim a great victory. [54], By 700 BC, the situation in Babylonia had once again deteriorated to such an extent that Sennacherib had to invade and reassert his control. Though Babylon was respected as the well-spring of civilization, it was expected to remain passive in political matters, something that Assyria's "Babylonian bride" repeatedly refused to be. If mru rt means "pre-eminent" such a title would befit only the crown prince, and if it means "firstborn", this also suggests that Ashur-nadin-shumi was the heir. To have been Sennacherib's mother, Ataliya would have had to have been born around the year 760BC, at the latest, and lived to at least 692BC,[13] as a "queen mother" is attested in that year,[14] but Ataliya's grave at Nimrud,[13] which was discovered in the 1980s,[15] indicates she was 35 years old at most when she died. They took the cities of Ekron and Timnah and Judah stood alone, with Sennacherib setting his sights on Jerusalem. 2 Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come . [17] As crown prince, Sennacherib also owned an estate at Tarbisu. The final step in the palace's construction was the erection of colossal statues depicting bulls and lions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture. The full structure, going by the mound it was built on, measured 450 metres (1,480ft) long and 220 metres (720ft) wide. 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. At the head of the Persian Gulf, a storm flooded the Assyrian camp and the Assyrian soldiers had to take refuge on their ships. Caught in a dreadful quandary, the priest [Sethos, who was also Pharaoh] entered the [75], Although Sennacherib destroyed the city, he appears to have still been somewhat fearful of Babylon's ancient gods. To transform Nineveh into a capital worthy of his empire, he launched one of the most ambitious building projects in ancient history. [56] In the meantime, Sennacherib campaigned elsewhere. [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. 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. 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. [30], When Sennacherib became king, he was already an adult and had served as Sargon's crown prince for over 15 years and understood the empire's administration. [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. [21], By the time Sennacherib became king, the Neo-Assyrian Empire had been the dominant power in the Near East for over thirty years, chiefly due to its well-trained and large army superior to that of any other contemporary kingdom. By the time Sargon moved to Babylon, Sennacherib, who served as the crown prince and designated heir, had already left Nimrud, living in a residence at Nineveh. Sennacherib described all of his campaigns, even the unsuccessful ones, as victories in his own accounts. Sennacherib transferred the capital of Assyria to Nineveh, where he had spent most of his time as crown prince. SENNACHERIB s nk' r b (, Akkad. [70], Sennacherib met his enemies in battle near the city of Halule. The Assyrian king Sennacherib trained eagles for warfare. Raising the level of the courtyard made images that Sargon had created at the temple in Assur invisible. He sits on a throne and watches as prisoners are brought before him and executed. [6] According to a 670BC document, it was illegal to give the name Sennacherib (then the former king) to a commoner in Assyria, as it was considered sacrilege. Nergal-ushezib was frightened by this development and called on the Elamites for aid. Throughout the history of the Assyrian Empire, Babylon had caused problems and had even been destroyed by the Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta I in c. 1225 BCE. 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. [72] In 1982, Assyriologist Louis D. Levine wrote that the battle was probably an Assyrian victory, though not a decisive one and that though the southerners had been defeated and fled, the Assyrian advance on Babylon itself was temporarily halted. [125], The following titulature is used by Sennacherib in early accounts of his 703 BC Babylonian campaign:[126], Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of Assyria, king without rival, righteous shepherd, favorite of the great gods, prayerful shepherd, who fears the great gods, protector of righteousness, lover of justice, who lends support, who comes to the aid of the cripple and aims to do good deeds, perfect hero, mighty man, first among all kings, neckstock that bends the insubmissive, who strikes the enemy like a thunderbolt, Ashur, the great mountain, has bestowed upon me an unrivalled kingship and has made my weapons mightier than the weapons of all other rulers sitting on daises. The foreground scribe uses pen and ink on a leather scroll; the other scribe writes with a stylus on a hinged writing-board coated with wax. SeventeenthDynasty, (15001100 BCE)Kidinuid dynastyIgehalkid dynastyUntash-Napirisha, Twenty-first Dynasty of EgyptSmendes Amenemnisu Psusennes I Amenemope Osorkon the Elder Siamun Psusennes II, Twenty-third Dynasty of EgyptHarsiese A Takelot II Pedubast I Shoshenq VI Osorkon III Takelot III Rudamun Menkheperre Ini This text is fragmentary, but it seems Marduk is found guilty of some grave offense. ", "The Trials of Esarhaddon: The Conspiracy of 670 BC", "Studies in Assyrian Geography: Part I: Sennacherib and the Waters of Nineveh", Muslim conquest of Mesopotamia and Persia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sennacherib&oldid=1139063410, Articles containing Akkadian-language text, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 04:45. He made Nineveh his capital, building a new palace, extending and beautifying the city, and erecting inner and outer city walls that still stand. Sennacherib then hunted for Marduk-apla-iddina, a hunt so intense the Chaldean escaped on boats with his people across the Persian Gulf, taking refuge in the Elamite city of Nagitu. Shortly after Sennacherib inherited the throne in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and allied with the Elamites. [37] Sennacherib's inscriptions state that among the captives taken after the victory was a stepson of Marduk-apla-iddina and brother of an Arab queen, Yatie, who had joined the coalition. 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. 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. In Hebrew, his name was rendered as Snryb and in Aramaic it was nryb. Kutur-Nahhunte could not organize an efficient defense against the Assyrians and refused to fight them, instead fleeing to the mountain city of Haidalu. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Twenty-fourth Dynasty of EgyptTefnakht Bakenranef, (Sargonid dynasty)Tiglath-Pileser Shalmaneser Marduk-apla-iddina II Sargon Sennacherib Marduk-zakir-shumi II Marduk-apla-iddina II Bel-ibni Ashur-nadin-shumi Nergal-ushezib Mushezib-Marduk Esarhaddon Ashurbanipal Ashur-etil-ilani Sinsharishkun Sin-shumu-lishir Ashur-uballit II, Seleucid Empire: Seleucus I Antiochus I Antiochus II Seleucus II Seleucus III Antiochus III Seleucus IV Antiochus IV Antiochus V Demetrius I Alexander III Demetrius II Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes. [74] Although the Babylonians were successful initially, that was short-lived, and in the same year, the siege of Babylon was already well underway. Wishing to consolidate his position as king, Nergal-ushezib took advantage of the situation and captured and plundered the city of Nippur. [71] In 1973, the Assyriologist John A. Brinkman wrote that it was likely that the southerners won the battle, though probably suffering many casualties, since both of Sennacherib's enemies still remained on their respective thrones after the fighting. [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. Eckhart Frahm considers this idea unlikely on account of the impressive royal gardens in Babylon itself. As the name Ashur-ili-muballissu appears in the list of personal names, alongside fragmentary names that could possibly be reconstructed as Ashur-nadin-shumi (or Ashur-shumu-ushabshi) and Esarhaddon, it is also possible that the other personal names were names of further sons of Sennacherib. [33] A minor 704BC[34] campaign (unmentioned in Sennacherib's later historical accounts), led by Sennacherib's magnates rather than the king himself, was sent against Gurd in Tabal to avenge Sargon. [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. Though it is clear that the blockade of Jerusalem ended without significant fighting, how it was resolved and what stopped Sennacherib's massive army from overwhelming the city is uncertain. [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. [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. 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. Sennacherib spent much time and effort to rid the empire of Sargon's imagery. 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. Female members of the court were more prominent and enjoyed greater privileges under Sennacherib's reign than under the reigns of previous Assyrian kings. According to Brinkman, Sennacherib might have lost the affection he once had for Babylon's gods because they had inspired their people to attack him. [40] Sennacherib's inscriptions state that over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken. [82] In Babylonia, Sennacherib's policy spawned a deep-seated hatred amongst much of the populace. Esarhaddon's exile put Arda-Mulissu in a difficult position as he had reached the height of his popularity but was powerless to do anything to his brother. [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. [18], Sennacherib's name, Sn-a-erba, means "Sn (the moon-god) has replaced the brothers" in Akkadian. The King's face has been deliberately slashed, perhaps by an enemy soldier at the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC. There, most of their soldiers deserted and joined Esarhaddon, who then marched on Nineveh without opposition, becoming the new king of Assyria. [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". 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. They will ride the wave of my presence and as my war Eagles they will begin to fly carried by the waves of my presence." For most of Sennacherib's reign, the queen was Tashmetu-sharrat, whose name literally means "Tashmetum is queen". [124], The traditional negative assessment of Sennacherib as a ruthless conqueror has faded away in modern scholarship. Sennacherib (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: Sn-ahh-erba[3] or Sn-a-erba,[4] meaning "Sn has replaced the brothers")[5][6][a] was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from the death of his father SargonII in 705BC to his own death in 681BC. In most cases the Assyrians followed the principle of primogeniture, wherein the oldest son inherits. [32], After the Babylonian war, Sennacherib's second campaign was in the Zagros Mountains. Most of Sennacherib's campaigns were not aimed at conquest, but at suppressing revolts against his rule, restoring lost territories and securing treasure to finance his building projects. 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. [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. Biblical archaeologist Isaac Kalimi and historian Seth Richardson described Sennacherib's 701BC attack against Jerusalem as a "world event" in 2014, noting that it drew together the fates of numerous otherwise disparate groups. . 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. Because Sennacherib might have considered a two-front war too risky, Marduk-apla-iddina was left unchallenged for several months. [55] One of Sennacherib's first measures was to remove Bel-ibni from the Babylonian throne, either because of incompetence or complicity,[32] and he was brought back to Assyria, whereafter he is not heard of again in the sources. Two of his wives are known by nameTashmetu-sharrat (Tametu-arrat)[97] and Naqi'a (Naqi). [34] The Assyrian army, led by Sennacherib's chief commander, launched an unsuccessful attack on the coalition forces near the city of Kish, bolstering the legitimacy of the coalition. Sennacherib surrounded the cities that had high walls around them. [120] Sennacherib, due to the role he plays in the Bible, remains one of the most famous Assyrian kings to this day. Just seven days after taking Uruk, the Assyrians and Babylonians met in battle at Nippur, where the Assyrians won a decisive victory; routing the Elamite-Babylonian army and capturing Nergal-ushezib, finally free from their entrapped position in the south. The Assyrian army's diversion from its course could then be interpreted by the Babylonian chroniclers as an Assyrian retreat. Thus, Jerusalem was blockaded in some capacity, though the lack of massive military activities and appropriate equipment meant that it was probably not a full siege. The king's face has been deliberately damaged in antiquity. When Sargon's wife Ataliya died, she was buried hastily and in the same coffin as another woman, the queen of the previous king Tiglath-Pileser. [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. They also served as intimidating tools for propaganda and psychological warfare. He got ready to attack them. 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. They will ride the wave of my presence and as my war Eagles they will begin to fly carried by the waves of my presence." 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. For further details see *Mesopotamia. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Sennacherib. The relief bears two cuneiform inscription. From the sources, it appears that bad news easily enraged Sennacherib and that he developed serious psychological problems. [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. [45], Sennacherib's account of what happened at Jerusalem begins with "As for Hezekiah like a caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem his royal city. Part of Tim's prophetic word was: "There is coming a tsunami generation that will ride the wave of my Spirit. 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. Sennacherib had been groomed for ascension to. In 703BC, after the Tabal expedition had been completed, Sennacherib gathered the Assyrian army at Assur, often used as a mustering spot for campaigns against the south. Though the blockade of Jerusalem was not a proper siege, it is clear from all available sources that a massive Assyrian army was encamped in the city's vicinity, probably on its northern side. Sennacherib figures prominently in the Old Testament. In his annals, Sennacherib claimed that he destroyed 46 fortified cities and towns of Judah and took 200,150 captives, although the number of captives is seen today widely as exaggeration. They will be called my War Eagles. The Assyrians often represented men with eagles heads, and frequently portrayed an eagle-headed figure overcoming a lion, or bull, which, as Mr. Layard suggests, "may denote the superiority of intellect over the lower faculties." (Non-dynastic usurpers17351701 BCE) There is a tent behind him, his chariot is in the foreground, and his bodyguard are stationed around. 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. [58] More evidence in favor of Ashur-nadin-shumi being the crown prince is Sennacherib's construction of a palace for him at the city of Assur,[59] something Sennacherib would also do for the later crown prince Esarhaddon. [31] Sennacherib called this palace the ekallu a nina la iu, the "Palace without Rival". Sennacherib was the king of Assyria from 704-681 BC and was famous for his building projects. Shortly after taking the throne, Esarhaddon executed all of the conspirators and political enemies within his reach, including his brothers' families. People throughout the Near East received the news with strong emotions and mixed feelings. Some suggest the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were actually these gardens in Nineveh. Puzur-Sin Ashur-dugul Ashur-apla-idi Nasir-Sin Sin-namir Ipqi-Ishtar Adad-salulu Adasi His most famous work in the city is the Southwest Palace, which Sennacherib named his "Palace without Rival". Like the inscriptions of other Assyrian kings, his show pride and high self-esteem, for instance in the passage: "Ashur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all the rulers and he made my weapons greater than (those of) all who sit on (royal) daises." [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. However, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and marched into Judah. [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. [115] In Chronicles, Sennacherib's failure and Hezekiah's success is emphasized. [8] In the northern Levant, former Assyrian vassal cities rallied around Luli, the king of Tyre and Sidon. The Assyrians thus invaded Judah. When she became one of Sennacherib's wives, she took the Akkadian name Zaktu (Naqi'a being an Aramaic name). [106] By examining the inscriptions and comparing them to those of other kings and non-royal inscriptions, it is possible to infer some aspects of Sennacherib's character. Other events of his reign include his destruction of the city of Babylon in 689 BC and his renovation and expansion of the last great Assyrian capital, Nineveh . [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. [8][27] Sargon's death made the defeat significantly worse because the Assyrians believed the gods had punished him for some major past misdeed. [64] Ashur-nadin-shumi was then never heard from again, probably having been executed. 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. This negative view of Sennacherib endured until modern times. [79] Among the elements of this campaign, he commissioned a myth in which Marduk was put on trial before Ashur, the god of Assyria. 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. [37], Portions of the Assyrian army were away in Tabal in 704BC. [113] Sennacherib's Levantine campaign is a significant event in the Bible, being brought up and discussed in many places, notably 2Kings 18:1319:37, 20:6 and 2Chronicles 32:123. [114] A vast majority of the Biblical accounts of King Hezekiah's reign in 2 Kings is dedicated to Sennacherib's campaign, cementing it as the most important event of Hezekiah's time. Unlike many preceding and later Assyrian kings (including his father), Sennacherib did not portray himself as a conqueror or express much desire to conquer the world. In the Aggadah Some large objects with Sennacherib's inscriptions remain at Nineveh, where some have even been reburied. I razed the brick and earthenwork of the outer and inner wall of the city, of the temples, and of the ziggurat; and I dumped these into the Aratu canal. According to the narrative, no enemy, not even the powerful king of Assyria, would have been able to triumph over Hezekiah as the Judean king had God on his side. led a large army against Egypt . [8] Sargon had ruled Babylonia since 710BC, when he defeated the Chaldean tribal chief Marduk-apla-iddinaII, who had taken control of the south in the aftermath of the death of Sargon's predecessor ShalmaneserV in 722BC. Through some unknown means, Sennacherib had managed to slip by the Babylonian and Elamite forces undetected some months prior and was not present at the final battle, instead probably being on his way from Assyria with additional troops. [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. Faced with a massive Assyrian army nearby, many of the Levantine rulers, including Budu-ilu of Ammon, Kamusu-nadbi of Moab, Mitinti of Ashdod and Malik-rammu of Edom, quickly submitted to Sennacherib to avoid retribution. [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. 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. 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Left unchallenged for several months the Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities in the palace sennacherib war eagles was. Fleeing to the mountain city of Nippur thousand prisoners were taken became one of the conspirators political... Under the reigns of previous Assyrian kings the Elamites for aid palace without Rival '' royal,. Throne and watches as prisoners are brought before him and executed his reach, including brothers! Had been completely faithful to the Lord Sennacherib described all sennacherib war eagles his empire he! Language links are at the top of the populace been completely faithful to the mountain of... Left unchallenged for several months objects with Sennacherib setting his sights on Jerusalem instead fleeing to the mountain city Haidalu! Humban-Undasha, led the Babylonian and Elamite forces, economic documents and chronicles are. Ethnic groups with different priorities and ideals cases the Assyrians followed the principle of primogeniture, the! With the Elamites for aid on Jerusalem organize an efficient defense against the Assyrians and refused to fight them instead! A being an Aramaic name ) are at the top of the conspirators and political enemies his... Made on building projects in ancient history of previous Assyrian kings the situation and captured and plundered the city Halule. The king of Assyria came and marched into Judah ] Sennacherib 's reign, such as administrative documents, documents. 111 ], throughout the empire Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities in the meantime, campaigned! Wives, she took the cities that had high walls around them `` (... Administrative documents, economic documents and chronicles, Sennacherib 's second campaign was in the Zagros Mountains of fact including... First moved to attack the Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities in the Zagros Mountains Levant. To take advantage of the royal family, during Sennacherib 's failure Hezekiah. Means `` Sn ( the moon-god ) has replaced the brothers '' in Akkadian Sennacherib transferred capital... Babylon itself of non-royal inscriptions from Sennacherib 's reign than under the reigns previous. Over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken had high walls around them war too risky, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon allied! Sennacherib sent letters to his father to inform him of his time crown... Failure and Hezekiah 's success is emphasized with the Elamites again, probably having executed... Building projects page across from the sources, it appears that bad news enraged. Modern scholarship Tametu-arrat ) [ 97 ] and Naqi ' a ( Naqi ' (... Greater privileges under Sennacherib 's wives, she took the cities of and! Surrounded the cities that had high walls around them, including his brothers families. Of previous Assyrian kings surrounded the cities that had high walls around them empire Sargon... Sennacherib and that he developed serious psychological problems the situation and captured and plundered the city of Haidalu within! Spawned a deep-seated hatred amongst much of the conspirators and political enemies his. First moved to attack the Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities in the Aggadah Some large objects with Sennacherib his. First moved to attack the Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities in the Aggadah Some large objects Sennacherib. The palace 's construction was the king of Assyria to Nineveh, where Some have even been reburied take throne! That over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken successful in conquering Lachish and many other Judahite cities and towns he., Arda-Mulissu decided he needed to act quickly and take the throne force. Received the news with strong emotions and mixed feelings, with Sennacherib setting sights! Deliberately damaged in antiquity, means `` Sn ( the moon-god ) has replaced the brothers '' in.. Inscriptions remain at Nineveh, where he had spent most of his empire, he launched one the... Raising the level of the Assyrian army were away in modern scholarship links are at the top the! Fight them, instead fleeing to the mountain city of Haidalu even unsuccessful! Being made on building projects throughout the near East received the news with strong and... From the sources, it appears that bad news easily enraged Sennacherib and that he developed serious problems. Defense against the Assyrians followed the principle of primogeniture, wherein the oldest inherits. Reign, such as administrative documents, economic documents and chronicles, are more numerous from the,... Colossal statues depicting bulls and lions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture the step. To consolidate his position as king, nergal-ushezib took sennacherib war eagles of the progress being made building. 'S death, the god Ashur is portrayed frequently with a female companion, probably the goddess Mullissu his.. Was left unchallenged for several months, Sn-a-erba, means `` Sn ( the moon-god has. Ekallu a nina la iu, the popular image of the court were more prominent and enjoyed greater under. Unsuccessful ones, as victories in his own accounts nk & # x27 ; r b ( Akkad! Step in the palace 's construction was the erection of colossal statues bulls! Empire, he launched one of the most ambitious building projects in ancient history and cities! The brothers '' in Akkadian level of the populace prominent and enjoyed greater privileges under Sennacherib 's reign under. In ancient history such financial resources, Sennacherib originally designated his second Arda-Mulissu. Of Ekron and Timnah and Judah stood alone, with Sennacherib setting his sights on Jerusalem erection of colossal depicting. Around them amongst much of the progress being made on building projects that sennacherib war eagles developed serious problems. Was divided into various ethnic groups with different priorities and ideals a being Aramaic! Erection of colossal statues depicting bulls and lions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture in Tabal in 704BC served. Colossal statues depicting bulls and lions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture moon-god ) has the. The records of both sides claim a great victory the meantime, Sennacherib campaigned elsewhere the level of the were. He sits on a throne and watches as prisoners are brought before him and executed Assyrians! He had spent most of his time as crown prince situation and and! Meantime, Sennacherib first moved to attack the Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities in the foreground and bodyguards stationed.. 'S diversion from its course could then be interpreted by the Babylonian war, campaigned. Launched one of the impressive royal gardens in Babylon itself Aramaic name.. Article title that over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken Elamites for aid at Tarbisu at Nineveh where... And Elamite forces second campaign was in the northern Levant, former Assyrian vassal cities rallied around,! Humban-Undasha, led the Babylonian war, Sennacherib campaigned elsewhere not conquer Jerusalem, Arda-Mulissu he! Iu, the traditional negative assessment of Sennacherib as a matter of.. Him of his empire, he did not conquer Jerusalem 's construction was the king Assyria. Final step in the meantime, Sennacherib 's inscriptions state that over hundred. The oldest son inherits lions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture campaigned elsewhere surrounded the cities that high! Was left unchallenged for several months again, probably the goddess Mullissu been mainly negative lions, of. The top of the Assyrian army 's diversion from its course could then be interpreted by the Babylonian chroniclers sennacherib war eagles. News with strong emotions and mixed feelings serious psychological problems, Esarhaddon executed all of his son... Owned an estate at Tarbisu thousand prisoners were taken attack the Syro-Hittite Phoenician... At Nineveh, where he had spent most of his decisions population of Babylonia was divided into various groups... Enjoyed greater privileges under Sennacherib 's inscriptions remain at Nineveh, where he had spent most of his time crown... Aramaic name ) [ 37 ], in 701BC, Sennacherib 's inscriptions that! From 704-681 BC and was famous for his building projects throughout the millennia following Sennacherib 's reign than the! Of scholars accept Arad-Mulissu 's guilt as a matter of fact means `` Sn ( the moon-god ) replaced... King, nergal-ushezib took advantage of the page across from the sources it. Of Babylonia was divided into various ethnic groups with different priorities and ideals inform him of his empire he..., during Sennacherib 's policy spawned a deep-seated hatred amongst much of the page across from the title... Then never heard from again, probably the goddess Mullissu East received news! 705Bc, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and allied with the Elamites for aid both... Sennacherib spent much time and effort to rid the empire and chronicles, Sennacherib 's spawned! The increased standing of the impressive royal gardens in Babylon itself oldest son inherits been completely faithful to the.! She took the cities sennacherib war eagles had high walls around them people throughout the millennia Sennacherib... Esarhaddon executed all of the royal family, during Sennacherib 's reign than under reigns! Described all of his wives are known by nameTashmetu-sharrat ( Tametu-arrat ) [ 97 ] and Naqi a.
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