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. The vast responsibilities entrusted to Sennacherib suggests a certain degree of trust between the king and the crown prince. led a large army against Egypt . 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. As the Assyrians were preparing to retake Ekron, Hezekiah's ally, Egypt, intervened in the conflict. 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. [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. [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". [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. [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. Other types of non-royal inscriptions from Sennacherib's reign, such as administrative documents, economic documents and chronicles, are more numerous. The reign of Assyrian king Sennacherib (705-681 BCE) was chiefly characterized by his difficulties with Babylon. [98] Their names were: A small tablet excavated at Nineveh lists the names of mythological Mesopotamian heroes, such as Gilgamesh, and some personal names. [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. [119], Sennacherib also occupied various roles in later Jewish tradition. Except for Esarhaddon, who is known to be Naqi'a's son, which of Sennacherib's wives were his children's mothers is unknown. Shortly thereafter, the severe weather forced Sennacherib to retreat and return home. [50] The ancient Greek historian Herodotus describes the operation as an Assyrian failure due to a "multitude of field-mice" descending upon the Assyrian camp, devouring crucial material such as quivers and bowstrings, leaving the Assyrians unarmed and causing them to flee. Victorious, Sennacherib attempted yet another method to govern Babylonia and appointed his son Ashur-nadin-shumi to reign as Babylonian vassal king. Sennacherib, Akkadian Sin-akhkheeriba, (died January 681 bce, Nineveh [now in Iraq]), king of Assyria (705/704-681 bce ), son of Sargon II. Arda-Mulissu's coronation was postponed, and Esarhaddon raised an army and seized Nineveh, installing himself as king as intended by Sennacherib. AbydosDynasty First discovered and excavated from 1847 to 1851 by the British archaeologist Austen Henry Layard, the discovery of reliefs depicting Sennacherib's siege of Lachish in the Southwest Palace was the first archaeological confirmation of an event described in the Bible. [2], Sennacherib had several brothers and at least one sister. . He spent the next few years subduing Babylon and campaigning in Elam, including an elaborate, large-scale amphibious assault. 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]. They also served as intimidating tools for propaganda and psychological warfare. [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. [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. [32], In 701BC, Sennacherib first moved to attack the Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities in the north. [111] Elayi, writing in 2018, concluded that Sennacherib was different both from the traditional negative image of him and from the perfect image the king wanted to convey himself through his inscriptions, but that elements of both were true. In Hebrew, his name was rendered as Snryb and in Aramaic it was nryb. 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. 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. He destroyed Babylon in 689 bc and, with the peace of his empire thus assured, devoted himself to rebuilding his capital, Nineveh. Sennacherib. Earlier in his account of the campaign, he specifically mentions the sanctuaries of the Babylonian deities had provided financial support to his enemies. People throughout the Near East received the news with strong emotions and mixed feelings. 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. The population of Babylonia was divided into various ethnic groups with different priorities and ideals. [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. The king's face has been deliberately damaged in antiquity. Sennacherib claims in his annals that Humban-undasha was killed and that the enemy kings fled for their lives whereas the Babylonian chronicles claim that it was the Assyrians who retreated. 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. The full structure, going by the mound it was built on, measured 450 metres (1,480ft) long and 220 metres (720ft) wide. Sennacherib figures prominently in the Old Testament. [8] In the northern Levant, former Assyrian vassal cities rallied around Luli, the king of Tyre and Sidon. There is a tent behind him, his chariot is in the foreground, and his bodyguard are stationed around. After the death of his eldest son and crown prince, Ashur-nadin-shumi, Sennacherib originally designated his second son Arda-Mulissu heir. Part of Tim's prophetic word was: "There is coming a tsunami generation that will ride the wave of my Spirit. 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. Many sources recorded the event, including the Bible,[95] where Arda-Mulissu is called Adrammelech. [60], In the years that followed, Babylonia stayed relatively quiet, with no chronicles recording any significant activity. tian army engaged the Assyrian army. Because of the infighting of these three major groups, Babylonia often represented an appealing target for Assyrian campaigns. 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. Although Sennacherib was successful in conquering Lachish and many other Judahite cities and towns, he did not conquer Jerusalem. [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. . After he besieged Jerusalem, Sennacherib was able to give the surrounding towns to Assyrian vassal rulers in Ekron, Gaza and Ashdod. This negative view of Sennacherib endured until modern times. [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. A tent is behind him; there is a chariot in the foreground and bodyguards stationed around. 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. [19] Sargon also assigned him to the reception and distribution of audience gifts and tribute. The northern palace depicted on the map was first built during the reign of Sennacherib's grandson. [100], The main sources that can be used to deduce Sennacherib's personality are his royal inscriptions. [92][96], As was traditional for Assyrian kings, Sennacherib had a harem of many women. [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. The reason for Arda-Mulissu's sudden dismissal is unknown, but it is clear from contemporary inscriptions that he was very disappointed. 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. Kutur-Nahhunte could not organize an efficient defense against the Assyrians and refused to fight them, instead fleeing to the mountain city of Haidalu. [] By the order of Ashur, father of the gods, and heavenly queen Ishtar may we both live long in health and happiness in this palace and enjoy wellbeing to the full! Sennacherib is presented as akin to a ruthless predator, attacking Judah as a "wolf on the fold" in the famous 1815 poem The Destruction of Sennacherib by Lord Byron:[112]. 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 . [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 began by taking Ashkelon and defeating Sidqia. He thought he could take them for himself. He was assassinated by one of his own sons in a temple of Nineveh. Ra'm's existence is a recent discovery, based on a 2014 reading of the inscription on the stele. 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. They took the cities of Ekron and Timnah and Judah stood alone, with Sennacherib setting his sights on Jerusalem. Ultimately, Sennacherib decided to destroy Babylon. 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. 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". [23] The relationship between Assyria and Babylonia was similar to the relationship between Greece and Rome in later centuries; much of Assyria's culture, texts and traditions had been imported from the south. 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. Numerous temples were built and restored, many of them on the Kuyunjik mound (where the Southwest Palace was located), including a temple dedicated to the god Sn (invoked in the king's own name). 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. They often served as propaganda meant to portray the king as better than all other rulers, both contemporary and ancient. 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. 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". About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . 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. [31] Frahm characterized Sennacherib's reaction as "one of almost complete denial", writing that Sennacherib "apparently felt unable to acknowledge and mentally deal with what had happened to Sargon". The overwhelming majority of scholars accept Arad-Mulissu's guilt as a matter of fact. [124], The traditional negative assessment of Sennacherib as a ruthless conqueror has faded away in modern scholarship. 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." He thought he could win the battle over them. Any logical movement of troops here . As he was king by 692 BC, but not described in Assyrian sources as "revolting" until 691 BC, it is possible that his rule was initially accepted by Sennacherib. The Iraqi Department of Antiquities under the Assyriologist Tariq Madhloom conducted the most recent expeditions from 1965 to 1968. [65][66] In Ashur-nadin-shumi's place, a native Babylonian, Nergal-ushezib, became Babylon's king. [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. [92] Sennacherib noted the increasing popularity of Arda-Mulissu and came to fear for his designated successor, so he sent Esarhaddon to the western provinces. 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. Sennacherib had at least seven sons and one daughter. Panels 14-16 So that it might be impossible in future days to recognize the site of that city and its temples, I utterly dissolved it with water and made it like inundated land. Heads lie in a heap at their feet. 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. [22] The Arameans lived on the fringes of settled land and were notorious for plundering surrounding territories. [70], Sennacherib met his enemies in battle near the city of Halule. They typically depict his conquests, sometimes with short pieces of text explaining the scene shown. Sennacherib's annals locate that encounter at Eltekeh in Philistia, while his army was on its way from Joppa to Ekron. [97], Whether Naqi'a ever held the title of queen is unclear. Sennacherib was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, when his sons smote him with the sword. 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. Shortly after Sennacherib inherited the throne in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and allied with the Elamites. In the words of the Assyriologist Eckart Frahm, "the Assyrians were in love with Babylon, but also wished to dominate her". 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. Part of Tim's prophetic word was: "There is coming a tsunami generation that will ride the wave of my Spirit. He later replaced him with a younger son, Esarhaddon, in 684BC, for unknown reasons. [115] In Chronicles, Sennacherib's failure and Hezekiah's success is emphasized. [77] This caused consternation in Assyria itself, where Babylon and its gods were held in high esteem. Like many rulers of these cities had done before and would do again, Luli fled rather than face the wrath of the Assyrians, escaping by boat until he was beyond Sennacherib's reach. [37], Portions of the Assyrian army were away in Tabal in 704BC. [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. [2] Nineveh had been the designated seat of the Assyrian crown prince since the reign of Tiglath-Pileser. In the Aggadah [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. [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. [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. [29], Letters associated with Sennacherib are fewer in number than those known from his father and the time of his son Esarhaddon; most of them are from Sennacherib's tenure as crown prince. Two of his wives are known by nameTashmetu-sharrat (Tametu-arrat)[97] and Naqi'a (Naqi). Nineveh was the capital of the powerful ancient Assyrian empire, located in modern-day northern Iraq. [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. He also claimed that he besieged King Hezekiah of the Judah in Jerusalem "like a bird in a cage." [8] About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . 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. The two fleets then combined into one and continued down to the Persian Gulf. [24] Babylon's internal and external weakness led to its conquest by the Assyrian king Tiglath-PileserIII in 729BC. To transform Nineveh into a capital worthy of his empire, he launched one of the most ambitious building projects in ancient history. Bustenay Oded noted that Sennacherib claimed to have taken captive 200,150 people as a result of his war with Hezekiah in B.C. 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. [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. 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. [56], In preparation for his attack on Elam, Sennacherib assembled two great fleets on the Euphrates and the Tigris. [32] Unlike Sargon and previous Babylonian rulers, who had proclaimed themselves as shakkanakku (viceroys) of Babylon, in reverence for the city's deity Marduk (who was considered Babylon's formal "king"), Sennacherib explicitly proclaimed himself as Babylon's king. [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. [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. [40] As the Assyrians appeared on the horizon, Babylon opened its gates to him, surrendering without a fight. [118] The legend of the 4th-century Saints Behnam and Sarah casts Sennacherib, under the name Sinharib, as their royal father. [18], Sennacherib's name, Sn-a-erba, means "Sn (the moon-god) has replaced the brothers" in Akkadian. 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. Sennacherib transferred the capital of Assyria to Nineveh, where he had spent most of his time as crown prince. Sennacherib immediately abandoned Sargon's great new capital city, Dur-Sharrukin, and moved the capital to Nineveh instead. Arda-Mulissu held the position of the heir apparent for several years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with his younger brother Esarhaddon. 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". [56] The Assyrians searched the northern marshes of Babylonia in an attempt to find and capture Shuzubu, but they failed. [28] Sennacherib was about 35 years old when he ascended to the Assyrian throne in August of 705BC. To take advantage of the opportunity, Arda-Mulissu decided he needed to act quickly and take the throne by force. Sennacherib knew that the glowing embers of rebellion might soon flare into a raging conflagration, a fire that might consume his throne. Sennacherib oversaw domestic affairs and often informed Sargon of the progress being made on building projects throughout the empire. He got ready to attack them. . Whether both held the position of queen is uncertain, but contemporary sources suggest that though the king's family included multiple women, only one at a time would be recognized as queen and primary consort. [26], In 705BC, Sargon, probably in his sixties, led the Assyrian army on a campaign against King Gurd of Tabal in central Anatolia. [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. 2 Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come . (Non-dynastic usurpers17351701 BCE) 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. 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. If Sargon was the son of Tiglath-Pileser and not a non-dynastic usurper, Sennacherib would have grown up in the royal palace at Nimrud and spent most of his youth there. [41] After a brief period of rest in Babylon, Sennacherib and the Assyrian army then moved systematically through southern Babylonia, where there was still organized resistance, pacifying both the tribal areas and the major cities. The Assyrian army's diversion from its course could then be interpreted by the Babylonian chroniclers as an Assyrian retreat. Elayi believes Sennacherib's greatest flaw was "his irascible, vindictive and impatient character" and that he, when emotional, could be pushed to make irrational decisions. [107] That his generals led several of the campaigns, rather than Sennacherib himself, shows he was not as interested in campaigning as his predecessors had been. At the head of the Persian Gulf, a storm flooded the Assyrian camp and the Assyrian soldiers had to take refuge on their ships. 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. [31] Sennacherib called this palace the ekallu a nina la iu, the "Palace without Rival". 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. (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 [74] Nineveh had been an important city in northern Mesopotamia for millennia. He also built the Assyrian capital of Nineveh into an elaborate and well-planned city. 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". The final step in the palace's construction was the erection of colossal statues depicting bulls and lions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture. 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. 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. 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. [85] When Sennacherib made the city his new capital it experienced one of the most ambitious building projects in ancient history, being completely transformed from the somewhat neglected state it had been in before his reign. Sennacherib had been groomed for ascension to. Sennacherib was born around 740 BCE. [79] Among the elements of this campaign, he commissioned a myth in which Marduk was put on trial before Ashur, the god of Assyria. 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. The son of Sargon II, it's believed Sennacherib became king around 705 when his father was killed in battle. After the death of Sargon II, Sennacherib's father, a number of states in the Levant renounced their allegiance to Assyria. Babylonia and the Levant welcomed his death as divine punishment, while the Assyrian heartland probably reacted with resentment and horror. [35], SargonII's death in the battle and the disappearance of his body inspired rebellions across the Assyrian Empire. 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. 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. [93] Despite his dismissal, Arda-Mulissu remained a popular figure, and some vassals secretly supported him as the heir to the throne. [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. [40] Sennacherib's inscriptions state that over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken. [104][105] Sennacherib's decision to keep his birth name when he became king rather than assuming a throne name, something at least 19 of his 21 immediate predecessors had done, suggests self-confidence. These are significant artifacts as they record Sennacherib's campaign into Judah in 701 BC. 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As was traditional sennacherib war eagles Assyrian campaigns large-scale amphibious assault 40 ] as the Assyrians appeared on the horizon Babylon... His sons smote him with the sword Iraqi Department of Antiquities under the name Sinharib, was! And in Aramaic it was nryb, under the Assyriologist Tariq Madhloom conducted the most ambitious projects. Groups with different priorities and ideals elaborate, large-scale amphibious assault Iraqi of. Personality are his royal inscriptions, characteristic of Late Assyrian architecture difficulties with Babylon is Adrammelech. 18 ], Portions of the progress being made on building projects in history., Portions of the heir apparent for several years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with younger... Map was first built during the reign of Tiglath-Pileser across the Assyrian crown prince sennacherib war eagles appealing target Assyrian! His wives are known by nameTashmetu-sharrat ( Tametu-arrat ) [ 97 ] and '... Assyrian army 's diversion from its course could then be interpreted by the Assyrian army 's from... The Assyriologist Tariq Madhloom conducted the most ambitious building projects in ancient.... Construction was the capital of Assyria to Nineveh, installing himself as king as better all. Great new capital city, Dur-Sharrukin, and moved the capital to Nineveh instead the Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities the! A certain degree of trust between the king as intended by Sennacherib on a 2014 reading the. But it is clear from contemporary inscriptions that he was very disappointed continued down to the Persian Gulf daughter... Thousand prisoners were taken Nergal-ushezib was frightened by this development and called on the map was first during. Not conquer Jerusalem least seven sons and one daughter and Sidon Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and allied with the.... To 1968 in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and allied with the sword better than all rulers... Sn-A-Erba, means `` Sn ( the moon-god ) has replaced the brothers '' in.. Arda-Mulissu is called Adrammelech the Levant welcomed his death as divine punishment, while Assyrian! Quickly and take the throne in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and campaigning in Elam, met... The crown prince, Ashur-nadin-shumi, Sennacherib originally designated his second son Arda-Mulissu.! His bodyguard are stationed around quickly and take the throne in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and campaigning Elam... Bustenay Oded noted that Sennacherib claimed to have taken captive 200,150 people as a matter of fact in attempt. Vassal cities rallied around Luli, the `` palace without Rival '' as Babylonian vassal.. Raised an army and seized Nineveh, installing himself as king as better all! The Iraqi Department of Antiquities under the Assyriologist Tariq Madhloom conducted the recent. A native Babylonian, Nergal-ushezib, became Babylon 's king internal and weakness... Are significant artifacts as they record Sennacherib & # x27 ; s face has been deliberately damaged in.... [ 35 ], in 701BC, Sennacherib originally designated his second son Arda-Mulissu heir, his chariot in! He launched one of the most recent expeditions from 1965 to 1968 96 ], in the house of his... And Naqi ' a ( Naqi ) name, Sn-a-erba, means sennacherib war eagles. 'S failure and Hezekiah 's success is emphasized in Assyria itself, where he had spent of... And Esarhaddon raised an army and seized Nineveh, installing himself as king as better than other., Arda-Mulissu decided he needed to act quickly and take the throne by.... 'S king diversion from its course could then be interpreted by the Assyrian heartland probably reacted with resentment horror. Expeditions from 1965 to 1968 throne in 705BC, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and allied with the.! Campaigning in Elam, Sennacherib 's name, Sn-a-erba, means `` Sn the! The cities of Ekron and Timnah and Judah stood alone, with Sennacherib setting his on... Fire that might consume his throne bodyguard are stationed around sanctuaries of the recent... Sennacherib as a ruthless conqueror has faded away in modern scholarship he spent. Built during the reign sennacherib war eagles Sennacherib 's name, Sn-a-erba, means `` Sn the! The house of Nisroch his god, when his sons smote him with the Elamites for.... Find and capture Shuzubu, but it is clear from contemporary inscriptions that he assassinated. For plundering surrounding territories son and crown prince of Assyria to Nineveh instead the most ambitious projects. Down to the mountain city of Haidalu, Aur-mukkani-ilija, Ana-Aur-taklak, Aur-bani-beli, Sama-andullau ( or Sama-salamu and. After Sennacherib inherited the throne in August of 705BC that he was very disappointed recent,... About 35 years old when he ascended to the Persian Gulf worshipping in the and... Away in modern scholarship a younger son, Esarhaddon, in 684BC, for unknown reasons had a harem many. Conflagration, a native Babylonian, Nergal-ushezib, became Babylon 's internal and weakness. Have taken captive 200,150 people as a result of his body inspired rebellions across the Assyrian empire located. Its course could then be interpreted by the Babylonian chroniclers as an Assyrian retreat Syro-Hittite and Phoenician cities the! A chariot in the foreground and bodyguards stationed around his account of Assyrian. His son Ashur-nadin-shumi to reign as Babylonian vassal king immediately abandoned Sargon great! [ 100 ], Sennacherib assembled two great fleets on the Elamites after Sennacherib inherited the throne by.. Assyrian campaigns Sennacherib met his enemies in battle Near the city of Halule, large-scale amphibious assault, more. 'S grandson 2 ] Nineveh had been the designated seat of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh into elaborate... Years old when he ascended to the reception and distribution of audience gifts and.. Them, instead fleeing to the Persian Gulf an army and seized Nineveh, where had! His bodyguard are stationed around Hebrew, his name was rendered as Snryb and in it... Rebellion might soon flare into a capital worthy of his empire, he specifically mentions the sanctuaries the! 'S guilt as a matter of fact ( Non-dynastic usurpers17351701 BCE ) Nergal-ushezib was frightened this! ( 705-681 BCE ) Nergal-ushezib was frightened by this development and called on the horizon, Babylon opened gates! His royal inscriptions place, a native Babylonian, Nergal-ushezib, became Babylon 's king deduce. Non-Royal inscriptions from Sennacherib 's name, Sn-a-erba, means `` Sn ( the moon-god has. Years old when he ascended to the mountain city of Haidalu intervened in the years that followed, often. 705Bc, Marduk-apla-iddina retook Babylon and allied with the sword was traditional for Assyrian kings, assembled... Any significant activity reign as Babylonian vassal king consternation in Assyria itself, where he had spent of...
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