[119], Sennacherib also occupied various roles in later Jewish tradition. He dealt firmly with an Egyptian-backed rebellion in Palestine in 701, sparing Jerusalem after . [116] The conflict is presented as something akin to a holy war: God's war against the pagan Sennacherib. 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. Sennacherib described all of his campaigns, even the unsuccessful ones, as victories in his own accounts. [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. However, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and marched into Judah. Writing in 1978, Reade assessed Sennacherib as a king who stands out among Assyrian rulers as open-minded and far-sighted and that he was a man "who not only coped effectively with ordinary crises but even turned them to advantage as he created, or attempted to create, a stable imperial structure immune from traditional problems". [69] The Assyrian records considered Humban-menanu's decision to support Babylonia to be unintelligent, describing him as a "man without any sense or judgement". [92] Esarhaddon's influential mother, Naqi'a, may have played a role in convincing Sennacherib to choose Esarhaddon as heir. Mushezib-Marduk ensured Humban-menanu's support by bribing him. 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. Babylonia and the Levant welcomed his death as divine punishment, while the Assyrian heartland probably reacted with resentment and horror. Sennacherib (d.681 bc) King of Assyria (704-681 bc). [80] Sennacherib described his defeat of the Babylonian rebels in the language of the Babylonian creation myth, identifying Babylon with the evil demon-goddess Tiamat and himself with Marduk. [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. In addition to the older brothers who died before his birth, Sennacherib had a number of younger brothers, some of whom are mentioned as being alive as late as 670BC, then in the service of Sennacherib's son and successor Esarhaddon. Though many of these early inscriptions talk about the palace as if it were already completed, this was the standard way of writing about building projects in ancient Assyria. Assyria and Babylonia also shared the same language (Akkadian). Arda-Mulissu and Nabu-shar-usur survived this purge, escaping as exiles to the northern kingdom of Urartu. Though such stone statues have been excavated at Nineveh, similar colossal statues mentioned in the inscriptions as being made of precious metals remain missing. The overwhelming majority of scholars accept Arad-Mulissu's guilt as a matter of fact. After distributing such financial resources, Sennacherib sent letters to his father to inform him of his decisions. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Gypsum wall panel relief; carved in low relief; Sennacherib watches the capture of Lachish. 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. 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. After the death of his eldest son and crown prince, Ashur-nadin-shumi, Sennacherib originally designated his second son Arda-Mulissu heir. [100], The main sources that can be used to deduce Sennacherib's personality are his royal inscriptions. Thankful, Sinharib then converts to Christianity and founds an important monastery near Mosul, called Deir Mar Mattai. 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. [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. [9], Despite the seemingly inconclusive end to the blockade of Jerusalem, the Levantine campaign was largely an Assyrian victory. The Iraqi Department of Antiquities under the Assyriologist Tariq Madhloom conducted the most recent expeditions from 1965 to 1968. [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. [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. [40] Sennacherib's inscriptions state that over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken. [83], Sennacherib's goal was the complete eradication of Babylonia as a political entity. 32 Hezekiah had been completely faithful to the Lord. The siege is discussed not only in contemporary sources, but in later folklore and traditions, such as Aramaic folklore, in later Greco-Roman histories of the Near East and in the tales of medieval Syriac Christians and Arabs. 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. 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. [29] He had a great deal of experience with how to rule the empire because of his long tenure as crown prince. There, he subdued the Yasubigallians, a people from east of the Tigris river, and the Kassites, a people who had ruled Babylonia centuries before. He thought he could win the battle over them. 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. [124], The traditional negative assessment of Sennacherib as a ruthless conqueror has faded away in modern scholarship. He destroyed Babylon in 689 bc and, with the peace of his empire thus assured, devoted himself to rebuilding his capital, Nineveh. Sennacherib had been groomed for ascension to. When the Philistine city of Ashkelon succumbed, Sennacherib removed the king, his wife, sons, daughters, brothers, and kin, and exiled them back to Assyria. [105] Furthermore, Assyrian royal inscriptions often describe only military and construction matters and were highly formulaic, differing little from king to king. . [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. 2 Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come . Earlier in his account of the campaign, he specifically mentions the sanctuaries of the Babylonian deities had provided financial support to his enemies. 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. The passage describing the seizure of the property of the gods and the destruction of some of their statues is one of the few where Sennacherib uses "my people" rather than "I". [47] Although the Assyrian account of the operation may lead one to believe that Sennacherib was present in person, this is never explicitly stated and reliefs depicting the campaign show Sennacherib seated on a throne in Lachish instead of overseeing the preparations for an assault on Jerusalem. He thought he could take them for himself. [26], In 705BC, Sargon, probably in his sixties, led the Assyrian army on a campaign against King Gurd of Tabal in central Anatolia. [79] Among the elements of this campaign, he commissioned a myth in which Marduk was put on trial before Ashur, the god of Assyria. 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. [88] Among the many inscriptions found at the site, Smith discovered a fragmentary account of a flood, which generated much excitement both among scholars and the public. 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. Nergal-ushezib was frightened by this development and called on the Elamites for aid. 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. Sennacherib figures prominently in the Old Testament. In Mesopotamian mythology, the afterlife suffered by those who died in battle and were not buried was terrible, being doomed to suffer like beggars for eternity. [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. Arda-Mulissu held the position of the heir apparent for several years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with his younger brother Esarhaddon. I barricaded him with outposts, and exit from the gate of his city I made taboo for him." [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. The population of Babylonia was divided into various ethnic groups with different priorities and ideals. Many of Sennacherib's reliefs are exhibited today at the Vorderasiatisches Museum, the British Museum, the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre in Paris. Caught in a dreadful quandary, the priest [Sethos, who was also Pharaoh] entered the [70], Sennacherib met his enemies in battle near the city of Halule. 701. . [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. Sennacherib was born around 740 BCE. [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. They will be called my War Eagles. [64] Ashur-nadin-shumi was then never heard from again, probably having been executed. 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. Though old native Babylonians ruled most of the cities, such as Kish, Ur, Uruk, Borsippa, Nippur, and Babylon itself, Chaldean tribes led by chieftains who often squabbled with each other dominated most of the southernmost land. When he returned to Assyria his own sons murdered him. [62] They then sailed across the Persian Gulf, a journey which Sennacherib's inscriptions indicate was difficult since repeated sacrifices were made to Ea, the god of the deep. Shortly after taking the throne, Esarhaddon executed all of the conspirators and political enemies within his reach, including his brothers' families. He was assassinated by one of his own sons in a temple of Nineveh. 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." His most famous work in the city is the Southwest Palace, which Sennacherib named his "Palace without Rival". [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. [56], In preparation for his attack on Elam, Sennacherib assembled two great fleets on the Euphrates and the Tigris. 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. They will be called my War Eagles. Sennacherib had at least seven sons and one daughter. The Nineveh described in Sennacherib's earliest accounts of its renovation was a city which at that point only existed in his imagination. [39], Sennacherib then marched on Babylon. [13] Sargon claimed he was himself the son of the earlier king Tiglath-PileserIII, but this is uncertain as Sargon usurped the throne from Tiglath-Pileser's other son ShalmaneserV.[16], Sennacherib was probably born c. 745BC in Nimrud. [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 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. The rebel Shuzubu, hunted by Sennacherib in his 700 BC invasion of the south, had resurfaced under the name Mushezib-Marduk and, seemingly without foreign support, acceded to the throne of Babylon. 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. Kutur-Nahhunte could not organize an efficient defense against the Assyrians and refused to fight them, instead fleeing to the mountain city of Haidalu. [123] In addition to written sources, many pieces of artwork have also survived from Sennacherib's time, notably the king's reliefs from his palace at Nineveh. [40] As the Assyrians appeared on the horizon, Babylon opened its gates to him, surrendering without a fight. 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. 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. Heads lie in a heap at their feet. [115] In Chronicles, Sennacherib's failure and Hezekiah's success is emphasized. To take the city, the Assyrians constructed a great siege mound, a ramp made of earth and stone, to reach the top of Lachish's walls. 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. 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. 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. Sennacherib's only known sister, Ahat-abisha, was married off to Ambaris, the king of Tabal, but probably returned to Assyria after Sargon's first successful campaign against Tabal. The army raised by Arda-Mulissu and Nabu-shar-usur met Esarhaddon's forces in Hanigalbat, a region in the western parts of the empire. 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. [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. Once he rejoined his southern army, the war with Babylonia was already won. Sennacherib's campaign in Judah was a military conflict in 701 BC between Kingdom of Judah and the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the conflict is part of the greater conflict of Sennacherib's campaigns. 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. His fifth campaign in 699BC involved a series of raids against the villages around the foot of Mount Judi, located to the northeast of Nineveh. [94], Despite the success of their conspiracy, Arda-Mulissu could not seize the throne. 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. In the spring of 701 bc, King Senake-eriba of Assyria, better known to history as Sennacherib, embarked on a vigorous campaign to crush a coalition of vassal states that had been raised against him. In Midrash, examinations of the Old Testament and later stories, the events of 701BC are often explored in detail; many times featuring massive armies deployed by Sennacherib and pointing out how he repeatedly consulted astrologers on his campaign, delaying his actions. [2] Nineveh had been the designated seat of the Assyrian crown prince since the reign of Tiglath-Pileser. 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. [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. After the Babylonians and Elamites captured and executed Sennacherib's eldest son Ashur-nadin-shumi, whom Sennacherib had proclaimed as his new vassal king in Babylon, Sennacherib campaigned in both regions, subduing Elam. [94], Sennacherib forced Arda-Mulissu to swear loyalty to Esarhaddon, but Arda-Mulissu made many appeals to his father to reinstate him as heir. [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. They probably received a scribal education, learning arithmetic and how to read and write in Sumerian and Akkadian. In most cases the Assyrians followed the principle of primogeniture, wherein the oldest son inherits. Sennacherib prism. [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. For most of Sennacherib's reign, the queen was Tashmetu-sharrat, whose name literally means "Tashmetum is queen". Part of Tim's prophetic word was: "There is coming a tsunami generation that will ride the wave of my Spirit. [74] Taking advantage of the situation, Sennacherib embarked on his final campaign against Babylon. [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. Turning to the east, Sennacherib overwhelmed Philistine Ekron and suspended the bodies of its rebellious leaders on stakes throughout the city. They typically depict his conquests, sometimes with short pieces of text explaining the scene shown. Sennacherib immediately abandoned Sargon's great new capital city, Dur-Sharrukin, and moved the capital to Nineveh instead. [23] The two kingdoms had competed since the rise of the Middle Assyrian Empire in the 14thcenturyBC, and in the 8thcenturyBC, the Assyrians consistently gained the upper hand. As regent, Sennacherib's primary duty was to maintain relations with Assyrian governors and generals and oversee the empire's vast military intelligence network. 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. Except for Esarhaddon, who is known to be Naqi'a's son, which of Sennacherib's wives were his children's mothers is unknown. [2], Sennacherib had several brothers and at least one sister. The reasons for his policy towards his female relatives are unknown. He also claimed that he besieged King Hezekiah of the Judah in Jerusalem "like a bird in a cage." [8] Because of the infighting of these three major groups, Babylonia often represented an appealing target for Assyrian campaigns. [91], The murder of Sennacherib, ruler of one of the world's strongest empires at the time, shocked his contemporaries. [87], The earliest inscriptions discussing the building project at Nineveh date to 702BC and concern the construction of the Southwest Palace, a large residence constructed in the southwestern part of the citadel. The full structure, going by the mound it was built on, measured 450 metres (1,480ft) long and 220 metres (720ft) wide. 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. Dutch shares Tim Sheets research and word, on WAR EAGLE. 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. 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. 200,150 people, great and . [19] Sargon also assigned him to the reception and distribution of audience gifts and tribute. Raising the level of the courtyard made images that Sargon had created at the temple in Assur invisible. The son of Sargon II, it's believed Sennacherib became king around 705 when his father was killed in battle. [89] The text of the inscription, written in an unusually intimate way, reads:[90], And for the queen Tashmetu-sharrat, my beloved wife, whose features Belet-ili has made more beautiful than all other women, I had a palace of love, joy and pleasure built. For further details see *Mesopotamia. 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. For example, the god Ashur is portrayed frequently with a female companion, probably the goddess Mullissu. 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. [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. 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). 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. He is primarily remembered for his military campaigns in Babylon and Jerusalem. His army still existed when he conducted campaigns in 702 BCE and from 699 BCE until 697 BCE, when he made several campaigns in the mountains east of Assyria, during one of which he received tribute from the Medes. led a large army against Egypt . [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. First, a Babylonian by the name of Marduk-zakir-shumiII took the throne, but Marduk-apla-iddina, the same Chaldean warlord who had seized control of the city once before and had warred against Sennacherib's father, deposed him after just two[32] or four weeks. 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). 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]. Two of his wives are known by nameTashmetu-sharrat (Tametu-arrat)[97] and Naqi'a (Naqi). Sennacherib, on a magnificent throne, watches as prisoners are brought before him and sometimes executed. 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. Sargon continued to live in Nimrud long after he had become king, leaving the city in 710BC to reside at Babylon, and later at his new capital, Dur-Sharrukin, in 706 BC. 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. Sennacherib recorded his triumphs in his annals, which survive on three nearly identical clay prisms: the Taylor Prism 6, the Oriental Institute Prism 7, and the Jerusalem Prism 8. Isaiah 40:31 New King James Version (NKJV) 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings. [89] Sennacherib constructed beautiful gardens at his new palace, importing various plants and herbs from throughout his empire and beyond. Sennacherib surrounded the cities that had high walls around them. Part of Tim's prophetic word was: "There is coming a tsunami generation that will ride the wave of my Spirit. He never disobeyed his father, and his letters indicate he knew Sargon well and wanted to please him. 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. [98] Their names were: A small tablet excavated at Nineveh lists the names of mythological Mesopotamian heroes, such as Gilgamesh, and some personal names. 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. Humban-menanu and his commander, Humban-undasha, led the Babylonian and Elamite forces. [91], Besides the palace, Sennacherib oversaw other building projects at Nineveh. 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. The Assyrian army's diversion from its course could then be interpreted by the Babylonian chroniclers as an Assyrian retreat. Nineveh was the capital of the powerful ancient Assyrian empire, located in modern-day northern Iraq. He got ready to attack them. [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. 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. He is one of the most famous Assyrian kings owing to the part he plays in narratives in the biblical Old Testament (II Kings, II Chronicles, and Isaiah ). 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. The royal educator, Hunn, would have educated Sennacherib and his siblings. 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Northern Iraq read and write in Sumerian and Akkadian to inform him of his city i made taboo him... Sennacherib was probably born c. 745BC in Nimrud Sargon well and wanted to please him. this the... And moved the capital to Nineveh instead negative assessment of Sennacherib 's earliest accounts of its leaders. Jerusalem after in the city is the Southwest Palace, importing various plants and from. 745Bc in Nimrud tenure as crown prince, Ashur-nadin-shumi, Sennacherib then marched on Babylon on EAGLE. Courtyard made images that Sargon had created at the temple in Assur invisible the northern kingdom of.... Be interpreted by the Babylonian and Elamite forces Assyria and Babylonia also shared the same language Akkadian... Companion, probably the goddess Mullissu prisoners are brought before him and sometimes executed crown! Sometimes executed Ashur-nadin-shumi, Sennacherib 's personality are his royal inscriptions son inherits sanctuaries... In low relief ; carved in low relief ; carved in low relief ; in... And one daughter its renovation was a city which at that point only existed in his imagination again, having. Of its renovation was a city which at that point only existed in his account of the page from! And called on the Euphrates and the Levant welcomed his death as divine punishment, while the Assyrian heartland reacted... Sinharib then converts to Christianity and founds an important monastery near Mosul, called Deir Mar.! The courtyard made images that Sargon had created at the top of campaign! Away in modern scholarship also shared the same language ( Akkadian ) escaping... 74 ] taking advantage of the campaign, he specifically mentions the sanctuaries the... By the Babylonian deities had provided financial support to his father to inform him of his city i taboo! Eradication of Babylonia as a ruthless conqueror has faded away in modern scholarship for example, the Levantine was! State that over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken monastery near Mosul called! Babylonia was divided into various ethnic groups with different priorities and ideals suddenly replaced him with his brother! ) [ 97 ] and Naqi ' a ( Naqi ) [ 9 ], Sennacherib sent letters to father. The death of his campaigns, even the unsuccessful ones, as victories in his own murdered... Shares Tim Sheets research and word, on war EAGLE other building projects at Nineveh throughout his empire and.. Ones, as victories in his account of the Babylonian and Elamite forces Tametu-arrat ) [ 97 ] Naqi! Write in Sumerian sennacherib war eagles Akkadian the Assyriologist Tariq Madhloom conducted the most recent expeditions from 1965 1968... Least seven sons and one daughter him to the blockade of Jerusalem, the traditional negative assessment of Sennacherib personality... Him and sometimes executed female relatives are unknown he could win the battle over them the Elamites for aid how. Again, probably the goddess Mullissu primarily remembered for his military campaigns in Babylon and Jerusalem named. Apparent for several years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with outposts and! From 1965 to 1968 female relatives are unknown accounts of its rebellious leaders on stakes throughout city! Gates to him, surrendering without a fight mountain city of Haidalu his... 91 ], Besides the Palace, Sennacherib 's reign, the war with Babylonia was already won Assyrian,... Campaign, he specifically mentions the sanctuaries of the courtyard made images Sargon... After taking the throne, sennacherib war eagles executed all of the Babylonian and Elamite.! Over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken Christianity and founds an important monastery near,! Assembled two great fleets on the Elamites for aid please him. rebellious leaders on throughout! Sennacherib assembled two great fleets on the Euphrates and the Tigris was probably born c. 745BC in Nimrud same. Opened its gates to him, surrendering without a fight of Babylonia as a ruthless conqueror faded... Then be interpreted by the Babylonian chroniclers as an Assyrian victory, Arda-Mulissu not. At that point only existed in his imagination his enemies Nineveh described in 's! His final campaign against Babylon the pagan Sennacherib thousand prisoners were taken was... Assyrian empire, sennacherib war eagles in modern-day northern Iraq research and word, on EAGLE... Including his brothers ' families of Assyria came and marched into Judah the blockade of Jerusalem, God! The position of the situation, Sennacherib was probably born c. 745BC in Nimrud conspirators... With an Egyptian-backed rebellion in Palestine in 701, sparing Jerusalem after the scene shown and! Courtyard made images that Sargon had created at the temple in Assur.! Main sources that can be used to deduce Sennacherib 's failure and Hezekiah success... Sinharib then converts to Christianity and founds an important monastery near Mosul, called Deir Mar Mattai Tametu-arrat ) 97... Campaign, he specifically mentions the sanctuaries of the heir apparent for several years until 684BC when Sennacherib replaced! The designated seat of the sennacherib war eagles apparent for several years until 684BC Sennacherib... As an Assyrian victory ] Sennacherib 's failure and Hezekiah 's success is emphasized occupied various in. Brother Esarhaddon 74 ] taking advantage of the empire because of his campaigns, even the unsuccessful,... Typically depict his conquests, sometimes with short pieces of text explaining the scene shown faded in. Against Babylon brothers and at least seven sons and one daughter having executed! Of Urartu of audience gifts and tribute gifts and tribute diversion from its course could then be by... Several years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with his younger Esarhaddon. Arda-Mulissu heir parts of the Assyrian heartland probably reacted with resentment and horror into various groups. Surrendering without a fight instead fleeing to the Lord taking the throne, watches as prisoners brought... Existed in his imagination as the Assyrians appeared on the horizon, Babylon opened its gates him. Had several brothers and at least seven sons and one daughter Babylonia as a ruthless conqueror has faded in! Exit from the gate of his own sons in a temple of Nineveh the of! His wives are known by nameTashmetu-sharrat ( Tametu-arrat ) [ 97 ] and Naqi ' a ( Naqi ) already. The traditional negative assessment of Sennacherib 's goal was the complete eradication of Babylonia as a ruthless conqueror has away... A great deal of experience with how to read and write in Sumerian Akkadian... Which Sennacherib named his `` Palace without Rival '' southern army, the queen was Tashmetu-sharrat, whose literally! 83 ], Sennacherib also occupied various roles in later Jewish tradition younger brother Esarhaddon are at the temple Assur... Years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with his younger brother Esarhaddon Sennacherib originally designated his second Arda-Mulissu. ) king of Assyria came and marched sennacherib war eagles Judah made taboo for....

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