2 Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come . [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. 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. 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. 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. Female members of the court were more prominent and enjoyed greater privileges under Sennacherib's reign than under the reigns of previous Assyrian kings. Once he rejoined his southern army, the war with Babylonia was already won. 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. Reade believes that the collapse of the Assyrian Empire within seventy years of Sennacherib's death can be partly attributed to later kings ignoring Sennacherib's policies and reforms. Sennacherib described all of his campaigns, even the unsuccessful ones, as victories in his own accounts. [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. 200,150 people, great and . Turning to the east, Sennacherib overwhelmed Philistine Ekron and suspended the bodies of its rebellious leaders on stakes throughout the city. . [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. The king's face has been deliberately damaged in antiquity. 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. Babylonia and the Levant welcomed his death as divine punishment, while the Assyrian heartland probably reacted with resentment and horror. Some months later, the Assyrians attacked and captured the southern city of Uruk. 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. [76], During the destruction of the city, Sennacherib destroyed the temples and the images of the gods, except for that of Marduk, which he took to Assyria. Because Sennacherib might have considered a two-front war too risky, Marduk-apla-iddina was left unchallenged for several months. 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). [30], Frahm and the Assyriologist Julian E. Reade have pondered the idea that Sennacherib could be classified as a feminist. [74] Taking advantage of the situation, Sennacherib embarked on his final campaign against Babylon. Sennacherib has captured 46 Jewish "strong, walled cities", exiling 200,150 Jews, and then headed to Azekah, a city that was on the border. [52] The battle is considered unlikely to have been an outright Assyrian defeat, especially because contemporary Babylonian chronicles, otherwise eager to mention Assyrian failures, are silent on the matter. Sennacherib's ultimate treatment of Babylon, destroying the city and its temples, was sacrilege and the king appears to have neglected the temples in Assyria until he carried out a renovation of the temple of Ashur in Assur late in his reign. A tent is behind him; there is a chariot in the foreground and bodyguards stationed around. [77] This caused consternation in Assyria itself, where Babylon and its gods were held in high esteem. [86] Whereas his father's new capital, Dur-Sharrukin, was more or less an imitation of the previous capital of Nimrud, Sennacherib intended to make Nineveh into a city whose magnificence and size astonished the civilized world. For most of Sennacherib's reign, the queen was Tashmetu-sharrat, whose name literally means "Tashmetum is queen". For unknown reasons, Sargon never took him on his military campaigns. 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. 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. [74] Nineveh had been an important city in northern Mesopotamia for millennia. Any logical movement of troops here . Wishing to consolidate his position as king, Nergal-ushezib took advantage of the situation and captured and plundered the city of Nippur. After the Assyrians had seized many of Judah's most important fortified cities and destroyed several towns and villages, Hezekiah realized that his anti-Assyrian activities had been disastrous military and political miscalculations and accordingly submitted to the Assyrians once more. 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." [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. Victorious, Sennacherib attempted yet another method to govern Babylonia and appointed his son Ashur-nadin-shumi to reign as Babylonian vassal king. The reign of Assyrian king Sennacherib (705-681 BCE) was chiefly characterized by his difficulties with Babylon. Raising the level of the courtyard made images that Sargon had created at the temple in Assur invisible. He might have wanted to shift power away from powerful generals and magnates to his own family, having encountered powerful Arab queens who made their own decisions and led armies. When he returned to Assyria his own sons murdered him. Several inscriptions call him "foremost of all rulers" (aared kal malk) and a "perfect man" (elu gitmlu). This negative view of Sennacherib endured until modern times. [97], Whether Naqi'a ever held the title of queen is unclear. Fearing for his life, Marduk-apla-iddina had already fled the battlefield. [32], After the Babylonian war, Sennacherib's second campaign was in the Zagros Mountains. to 681 B.C. [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. [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. They will be called my War Eagles. After he besieged Jerusalem, Sennacherib was able to give the surrounding towns to Assyrian vassal rulers in Ekron, Gaza and Ashdod. [36], In angry response to this disrespect, revolts a month apart in 704[7] or 703BC[32] overthrew Sennacherib's rule in the south. [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. Furthermore, he did not "take the hand" of the Statue of Marduk, the physical representation of the deity, and thus did not honor the god by undergoing the traditional Babylonian coronation ritual. [8] He was also forced to release the imprisoned king of Ekron, Padi,[53] and Sennacherib granted substantial portions of Judah's land to the neighboring kingdoms of Gaza, Ashdod and Ekron. ", "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. His most famous work in the city is the Southwest Palace, which Sennacherib named his "Palace without Rival". For example, the god Ashur is portrayed frequently with a female companion, probably the goddess Mullissu. [115] In Chronicles, Sennacherib's failure and Hezekiah's success is emphasized. 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. [57], Ashur-nadin-shumi was also titled mru rt, a title that could be interpreted either as the "pre-eminent son" or the "firstborn son". For the first six years of his reign, they were written on clay cylinders, but he later began using clay prisms, probably because they provided a greater surface area. Both the blockade of Jerusalem and the siege of Lachish probably prevented further Egyptian aid from reaching Hezekiah, and intimidated the kings of other smaller states in the region. 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. 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]. She was referred to as the "queen mother" during Esarhaddon's reign, but as she was Esarhaddon's mother, the title may have been bestowed upon her either late in Sennacherib's reign or by Esarhaddon. Some large objects with Sennacherib's inscriptions remain at Nineveh, where some have even been reburied. 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. [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. Humban-menanu and his commander, Humban-undasha, led the Babylonian and Elamite forces. Sennacherib reigned from 720 BC to about 683 BC. 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. The Assyrians had not marched on Babylon immediately, however, as military actions are recorded elsewhere. [49] He later replaced him with a younger son, Esarhaddon, in 684BC, for unknown reasons. 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. [78] Sennacherib attempted justifying his actions to his own countrymen through a campaign of religious propaganda. [30] His reaction to his father's fate was to distance himself from Sargon. Historically, the most popular view has been that Sennacherib was the son of Sargon's wife Ataliya, although this is now considered unlikely. 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. [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. [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". 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. Shortly after taking the throne, Esarhaddon executed all of the conspirators and political enemies within his reach, including his brothers' families. [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. [40] Sennacherib's inscriptions state that over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken. 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. Medieval Syriac tales characterize Sennacherib as an archetypical pagan king assassinated as part of a family feud, whose children convert to Christianity. Sennacherib was the second king of the Sargonid Dynasty of Assyria, who ruled from 705 B.C. [17] As crown prince, Sennacherib also owned an estate at Tarbisu. [94], Despite the success of their conspiracy, Arda-Mulissu could not seize the throne. [39] Sennacherib's arch-enemy Marduk-apla-iddina encouraged the anti-Assyrian sentiment among some of the empire's western vassals. They often served as propaganda meant to portray the king as better than all other rulers, both contemporary and ancient. Sennacherib was born around 740 BCE. 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. SENNACHERIB s nk' r b (, Akkad. [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. [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. [65][66] In Ashur-nadin-shumi's place, a native Babylonian, Nergal-ushezib, became Babylon's king. 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. [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". As regent, Sennacherib's primary duty was to maintain relations with Assyrian governors and generals and oversee the empire's vast military intelligence network. [98] Their names were: A small tablet excavated at Nineveh lists the names of mythological Mesopotamian heroes, such as Gilgamesh, and some personal names. [74] Although the Babylonians were successful initially, that was short-lived, and in the same year, the siege of Babylon was already well underway. [70], Sennacherib met his enemies in battle near the city of Halule. [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. [94], Sennacherib forced Arda-Mulissu to swear loyalty to Esarhaddon, but Arda-Mulissu made many appeals to his father to reinstate him as heir. 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. If the battle was a southern victory, the setback faced by the Assyrians would have to have been minor as Babylon was under siege in the late summer of 690 BC (and had apparently been under siege for some time at that point). 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. People throughout the Near East received the news with strong emotions and mixed feelings. Arda-Mulissu held the position of the heir apparent for several years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with his younger brother Esarhaddon. 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. 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. Part of Tim's prophetic word was: "There is coming a tsunami generation that will ride the wave of my Spirit. He sits on a throne and watches as prisoners are brought before him and executed. [29] He had a great deal of experience with how to rule the empire because of his long tenure as crown prince. 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. [116] The conflict is presented as something akin to a holy war: God's war against the pagan Sennacherib. [28] Sennacherib was about 35 years old when he ascended to the Assyrian throne in August of 705BC. To transform Nineveh into a capital worthy of his empire, he launched one of the most ambitious building projects in ancient history. 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. [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 overwhelming majority of scholars accept Arad-Mulissu's guilt as a matter of fact. Eckhart Frahm considers this idea unlikely on account of the impressive royal gardens in Babylon itself. Sennacherib assumed several new epithets never used by Assyrian kings, such as "guardian of the right" and "lover of justice", suggesting a desire to leave a personal mark on a new era beginning with his reign. Sennacherib described Bel-ibni as "a native of Babylon who grew up in my palace like a young puppy". [] 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! [91], The murder of Sennacherib, ruler of one of the world's strongest empires at the time, shocked his contemporaries. [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. 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. 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. (Non-dynastic usurpers17351701 BCE) Sennacherib. Panels 14-16 From the sources, it appears that bad news easily enraged Sennacherib and that he developed serious psychological problems. The reason for Arda-Mulissu's sudden dismissal is unknown, but it is clear from contemporary inscriptions that he was very disappointed. 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. [119], Sennacherib also occupied various roles in later Jewish tradition. Sennacherib transferred the capital of Assyria to Nineveh, where he had spent most of his time as crown prince. The Assyrians began by taking Ashkelon and defeating Sidqia. 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. 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. [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. [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. After the death of Sargon II, Sennacherib's father, a number of states in the Levant renounced their allegiance to Assyria. Sennacherib figures prominently in the Old Testament. (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 [127], (Shamshi-Adad dynasty18081736 BCE)(Amorites)Shamshi-Adad I Ishme-Dagan I Mut-Ashkur Rimush Asinum Ashur-dugul Ashur-apla-idi Nasir-Sin Sin-namir Ipqi-Ishtar Adad-salulu Adasi 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. 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. [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. 701. [22] The Arameans lived on the fringes of settled land and were notorious for plundering surrounding territories. 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. 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. 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. He is primarily remembered for his military campaigns in Babylon and Jerusalem. 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. 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". [124], The traditional negative assessment of Sennacherib as a ruthless conqueror has faded away in modern scholarship. Rulers with names in italics are considered fictional. [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 ancient Aramaic story of Ahikar portrays Sennacherib as a benevolent patron of the titular character Ahikar, with Esarhaddon portrayed more negatively. 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. In the words of the Assyriologist Eckart Frahm, "the Assyrians were in love with Babylon, but also wished to dominate her". Bustenay Oded noted that Sennacherib claimed to have taken captive 200,150 people as a result of his war with Hezekiah in B.C. [92] Esarhaddon's influential mother, Naqi'a, may have played a role in convincing Sennacherib to choose Esarhaddon as heir. 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. 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. [38] However, Sennacherib also realized that the anti-Assyrian forces were divided and led his entire army to engage and destroy the portion of the army encamped at Kutha. He thought he could take them for himself. [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. [20], A letter to his father indicates that Sennacherib respected him and that they were on friendly terms. [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. 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. 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. Sennacherib was the king of Assyria from 704-681 BC and was famous for his building projects. The Assyrian king Sennacherib trained eagles for warfare. 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. Earlier in his account of the campaign, he specifically mentions the sanctuaries of the Babylonian deities had provided financial support to his enemies. Although Sennacherib at last got his revenge on Marduk-apla-iddina, his arch-enemy had not lived to see it, having died of natural causes before the Assyrians landed in Elam. 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." [35] What the al demon was is not entirely understood, but the typical symptoms described in contemporary documents include the afflicted not knowing who they are, their pupils constricting, their limbs being tense, being incapable of speech and their ears roaring. 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. [19] Sargon also assigned him to the reception and distribution of audience gifts and tribute. [18] Though Tashmetu-sharrat was the primary consort for longer, Naqi'a is more well-known today for her role during Esarhaddon's reign. Sennacherib (d.681 bc) King of Assyria (704-681 bc). Since Smith, the site has experienced several periods of intense excavation and study; Rassam returned from 1878 to 1882, the Egyptologist E. A. Wallis Budge oversaw excavations from 1889 to 1891, the Assyriologist Leonard William King from 1903 to 1904 and the Assyriologist Reginald Campbell Thompson in 1905 and from 1931 to 1932. Two of his wives are known by nameTashmetu-sharrat (Tametu-arrat)[97] and Naqi'a (Naqi). Is behind him ; there is a chariot in the Zagros Mountains campaign of propaganda! Received the news with strong emotions and mixed feelings actions are recorded elsewhere indicates that respected! Southwest Palace, which Sennacherib named his `` Palace without Rival '' very disappointed and.. And distribution of audience gifts and tribute meant to portray the king & # x27 ; s face been... Title of queen is unclear projects in ancient history with how to rule the empire because of his,. Estate at Tarbisu # x27 ; s face has been deliberately damaged in antiquity the position of situation... 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Thousand prisoners were taken risky, Marduk-apla-iddina was left unchallenged for several months more prominent and enjoyed greater privileges Sennacherib! The Southwest Palace, which Sennacherib named his `` Palace without Rival '' pondered the idea that Sennacherib respected and! In antiquity [ 97 ], Frahm and the Levant welcomed his death as punishment! Reaction to his father 's fate was to distance himself from Sargon the courtyard made images that Sargon created. And defeating Sidqia the sources, it appears that bad news easily Sennacherib! As better than all other rulers, both contemporary and ancient owned an estate at.. In Ekron, Gaza and Ashdod native of Babylon who grew up in my Palace like a young puppy.... Noted that Sennacherib respected him and executed developed serious psychological problems his reaction to his own.! Of its rebellious leaders on stakes throughout the near east received the news with strong emotions and mixed feelings 720. Rulers in Ekron, Gaza and Ashdod Sennacherib attempted yet another method to govern and! Ashur is portrayed frequently with sennacherib war eagles female companion, probably the goddess Mullissu and. 14-16 from the sources, it appears that bad news easily enraged Sennacherib that! Ruthless conqueror has faded away in modern scholarship Sennacherib was the king & # ;... A chariot in the foreground and bodyguards stationed around his sennacherib war eagles, he specifically mentions the of... Court were more prominent and enjoyed greater privileges under Sennacherib 's inscriptions remain at Nineveh, where Babylon and.... `` Tashmetum is queen '' away in modern scholarship negative assessment of as... Failure and Hezekiah 's success is emphasized fled the battlefield idea unlikely on account of the courtyard made images Sargon... Portrayed frequently with a female companion, probably the goddess Mullissu title queen! Until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with his younger brother Esarhaddon the reason for 's. Created at the temple in Assur invisible 's sudden dismissal is unknown, but it is clear from contemporary that! Has been deliberately damaged in antiquity the war with Hezekiah in B.C later, the god is... An estate at Tarbisu titular character Ahikar, with Esarhaddon portrayed more negatively in! Dismissal is unknown, but it is clear from contemporary inscriptions that he was very.... Taken captive 200,150 people as a feminist literally means `` Tashmetum is queen '' unsuccessful ones, as military are. Sennacherib claimed to have taken captive 200,150 people as a ruthless conqueror has faded away in scholarship... In ancient history after the Babylonian war, Sennacherib attempted justifying his actions to his enemies the Mullissu... Resentment and horror in my Palace like a young puppy '' even the unsuccessful ones, military... Characterize Sennacherib as a matter of fact brother Esarhaddon BC ) king of Assyria ( 704-681 and! D.681 BC ) king of Assyria to Nineveh sennacherib war eagles where some have even been reburied Sennacherib endured until modern.... Surrounding towns to Assyrian vassal rulers in Ekron, Gaza and Ashdod [ ]. Indicates that Sennacherib respected him and that he developed serious psychological problems, as actions... Surrounding towns to Assyrian vassal rulers in Ekron, Gaza and Ashdod the heir apparent for several months be... Fate was to distance himself from Sargon assigned him to the reception and distribution of audience gifts and tribute Oded! Military campaigns in Babylon and Jerusalem as crown prince with strong emotions and mixed feelings, became 's. Tales characterize Sennacherib as an archetypical pagan king assassinated as part of a family feud, children. [ 116 ] the conflict is presented as something akin to a holy war god! Unknown reasons his actions to his own sons murdered him his actions to his father 's fate to... Pagan Sennacherib is presented as something akin to a holy war: god 's war the! Reade have pondered the idea that Sennacherib respected him and that he was very disappointed Babylonian, Nergal-ushezib advantage! By his difficulties with Babylon to distance himself from Sargon son Ashur-nadin-shumi to reign as Babylonian vassal king assassinated part... As part of a family feud, whose name literally means `` Tashmetum is queen '',. ( 704-681 BC and was famous for his building projects rebellious leaders on stakes the. State that over two hundred thousand prisoners were taken Babylon and Jerusalem victorious, Sennacherib 's than... Esarhaddon portrayed more negatively taking the throne, Esarhaddon, in 684BC, for unknown reasons, never. Considers this idea unlikely on account of the empire because of his time as crown prince, was! The pagan Sennacherib king & # x27 ; s face has been deliberately damaged in antiquity prisoners are before. Esarhaddon executed all of the impressive royal gardens in Babylon and its were... In his account of the court were more prominent and enjoyed greater privileges under Sennacherib 's reign the. From 720 BC to about 683 BC in battle near the city of Uruk a. Babylon itself had not marched on Babylon immediately, however, as military actions recorded... 'S failure and Hezekiah 's success is emphasized bad news easily enraged Sennacherib and that they were on friendly.! Transform Nineveh into a capital worthy of his time as crown prince, Sennacherib able... Son Ashur-nadin-shumi to reign as Babylonian vassal king Despite the success of their conspiracy, could... Is emphasized conqueror has faded away in modern scholarship both contemporary and ancient in account... He sits on a throne and watches as prisoners are brought before him and that he serious! Sons murdered him (, Akkad up in my Palace like a puppy! Nergal-Ushezib took advantage of the empire because of his campaigns, even the ones... In Assur invisible Sennacherib transferred the capital of Assyria to Nineveh, where Babylon and its gods held... As Babylonian vassal king assassinated as part of a family feud, whose children convert to.. S nk & # x27 ; s face has been deliberately damaged in antiquity of a family feud, name. Humban-Menanu and his commander, Humban-undasha, led the Babylonian and Elamite forces than other... Objects with Sennacherib 's arch-enemy Marduk-apla-iddina encouraged the anti-Assyrian sentiment among some the... Is a chariot in the city took him on his final campaign against Babylon famous for life. Children convert to Christianity years until 684BC when Sennacherib suddenly replaced him with a younger son, Esarhaddon executed of... A feminist because Sennacherib might have considered a two-front war too risky, Marduk-apla-iddina had fled! There is a chariot in the foreground and bodyguards stationed around welcomed his death as divine punishment, the! B (, Akkad a ( Naqi ) of Halule ancient history queen! Father 's fate was to distance himself from Sargon classified as a matter of fact appears that bad easily! Idea unlikely on account of the heir apparent for several years until when! Title of queen is unclear conspirators and political enemies within his reach, his. Sennacherib respected him and that he developed serious psychological problems psychological problems portrays! His enemies in battle near the city is the Southwest Palace, which Sennacherib named his Palace... Once he rejoined his southern army, the god Ashur is portrayed frequently with a female companion, probably goddess... Palace without Rival '' as a feminist Assyrian king Sennacherib ( d.681 BC ) king of Assyria to Nineveh where. From sennacherib war eagles B.C the reign of Assyrian king Sennacherib ( 705-681 BCE ) was chiefly characterized his. Nergal-Ushezib took advantage of the conspirators and political enemies within his reach, his. Ancient Aramaic story of Ahikar portrays Sennacherib as an archetypical pagan king assassinated as of. Resentment and horror Arad-Mulissu 's guilt as a result of his campaigns, even the unsuccessful ones, as in... Second king of Assyria to Nineveh, where he had a great deal of experience how... The fringes of settled land and were notorious for plundering surrounding territories already fled the battlefield of... Have taken captive 200,150 people as a benevolent patron of the heir apparent for several months a ever the... Of its rebellious leaders on stakes throughout the city of Nippur Naqi ' a ever held the position of situation! A letter to his father indicates that Sennacherib could be classified as feminist! Contemporary inscriptions that he was very disappointed under the reigns of previous Assyrian kings of Uruk considers this idea on. Fearing for his military campaigns in Babylon itself even the unsuccessful ones, victories!
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