The prism is a foundation record, intended to preserve King Sennacherib's achievements for posterity and the gods. The record of his account of his third campaign (701 BCE) is particularly interesting to scholars.

When was the Sennacherib Prism written?

Description: The Taylor Prism is a large (38.5 cm high) six-sided clay document which contains the annals of Sennacherib, written down in 691 BC. The prism was discovered in the ruins of the armoury in Nineveh, where it would likely have been deposited in the foundations.

What does the Sennacherib Prism say?

Additionally, the Prism says that Sennacherib's siege resulted in Hezekiah being shut up in Jerusalem "like a caged bird", Hezekiah's mercenaries and 'Arabs' deserting him, and Hezekiah eventually buying off Sennacherib, having to give him antimony, jewels, ivory-inlaid furniture, his own daughters, harem, and ...

Why is Sennacherib important?

Sennacherib, Akkadian Sin-akhkheeriba, (died January 681 bce, Nineveh [now in Iraq]), king of Assyria (705/704–681 bce), son of Sargon II. He made Nineveh his capital, building a new palace, extending and beautifying the city, and erecting inner and outer city walls that still stand.

What is the meaning of Sennacherib?

Sennacherib's name, Sîn-aḥḥē-erība, means "Sîn (the moon-god) has replaced the brothers" in Akkadian. 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. In Hebrew, his name was rendered as Snḥryb and in Aramaic it was Šnḥ'ryb.

25 related questions found

Why was Sennacherib assassinated?

He is also known as the second Assyrian king to have sacked Babylon's temples and been assassinated for his affront to the gods (the first king being Tukulti-Ninurta I in c. 1225 BCE). Sennacherib abandoned his father's new city of Dur-Sharrukin and moved the capital to Nineveh, which he handsomely restored.

Why did king Sennacherib order the army to destroy Babylon?

Sennacherib had spent more time dealing with Babylon and the Elamites and expended more men and resources on subduing that city than any other, so he ordered Babylon to be razed to the ground.

What does the note that king Sennacherib sends to Hezekiah say?

You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands.

What did Sennacherib do in the Bible?

King Sennacherib was the king of Assyria between 705 to 681 BCE. He is known for his military campaigns against Babylon and the Hebrew kingdom of Judah, as well as for his building projects, especially in the city of Nineveh.

Who defeated Sennacherib?

Sennacherib was assassinated by one or two of his sons in the temple of the god Ninurta at Kalakh. This god, along with the god Marduk, had been badly treated by Sennacherib, and the event was widely regarded as punishment of divine origin.

Where is Sennacherib prism?

THIS COPY OF SENNACHERIB'S ANNALS is called Taylor's Prism because it was discovered in Nineveh in 1830 by British Colonel R. Taylor. It is housed in the British Museum. Another copy is displayed at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and is known as the Oriental Institute Prism.

What type of document is the Sennacherib Prism?

Illustration. This prism records the first eight campaigns of the Assyrian King Sennacherib (704-681 BCE). This six-sided baked clay document (or prism) was discovered at the Assyrian capital Nineveh, in an area known today as Nebi Yunus.

What happened when Sennacherib tried to conquer Jerusalem?

In approximately 701 BCE, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked the fortified cities of the Kingdom of Judah in a campaign of subjugation. Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem, but failed to capture it — it is the only city mentioned as being besieged on Sennacherib's Stele, of which the capture is not mentioned.

How did Hezekiah defeat the Assyrians?

A contemporary record explains how Sennacherib laid siege to city after city throughout Judah, conquering them with ramps and battering rams. He captured King Hezekiah and kept him “like a bird in a cage.” The Bible tells us that King Hezekiah defeated the Assyrians with divine intervention.

How deep is Hezekiah's Tunnel?

This engineering feat was accomplished by digging a 1,750-foot (533 meter) tunnel into the mountain. An ancient stone carving found near the entrance describes the incredible operation.

Where was lachish in the Bible?

Lachish (Hebrew: לכיש; Ancient Greek: Λαχίς; Latin: Lachis) was an ancient Canaanite and Israelite city in the Shephelah ("lowlands of Judea") region of Israel, mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible.

What is the Hezekiah prayer?

[2] Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, [3] And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.

Was Hezekiah a king?

Hezekiah, Hebrew Ḥizqiyya, Greek Ezekias, (flourished late 8th and early 7th centuries bc), son of Ahaz, and the 13th successor of David as king of Judah at Jerusalem.

What did Sennacherib do to Hezekiah?

Sennacherib tormented Hezekiah by pulling in the noose gradually while Hezekiah stood there, helpless to save his people, 200,150 of whom were captured alive. There are no reliable statistics on those who were killed.

Where is Taharqa mentioned in the Bible?

Mainstream scholars agree that Taharqa is the Biblical "Tirhakah", king of Ethiopia (Kush), who waged war against Sennacherib during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9).

When did Sennacherib conquer Israel?

In approximately 701 BCE, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked the fortified cities of Judah, laying siege on Jerusalem, but failed to capture it (it is the only city mentioned as being besieged on Sennacherib's Stele, of which the capture is not mentioned).

What happened to Sennacherib?

When Sennacherib came to power in 705 B.C.E., he inherited an empire in flames. Under his father Sargon II, the Assyrian army had been beaten back by rebels in Tabal, today central Turkey. Following Sargon's II's death that year, civil unrest spread like wildfire inside the empire.

What type of document is the Book of Kings?

books of Kings, two books of the Hebrew Bible or the Protestant Old Testament that, together with Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Samuel, belong to the group of historical books (Deuteronomic history) written during the Babylonian Exile (c. 550 bc) of the Jews.

Who wrote 1st and 2nd Chronicles in the Bible?

Jewish and Christian tradition identified this author as the 5th-century BC figure Ezra, who gives his name to the Book of Ezra; Ezra is also believed to have written both Chronicles and Ezra–Nehemiah. Later critics, skeptical of the long-maintained tradition, preferred to call the author "the Chronicler".

Who Wrote Book of Kings in Bible?

According to Jewish tradition the author of Kings was Jeremiah, who would have been alive during the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.