Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem 701 BC
Differing Accounts on why Hezekiah Rebelled and Prevailed
May 15, 2009
In 1815, George Gordon, Lord Byron wrote the following lines of verse:
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen on their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on the Galilee.
The armies of Sennacherib defeated the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 720s BC. In 701, the Assyrian king besieged Jerusalem, trapping King Hezekiah “like a bird in the cage.” Yet despite ravaging Hezekiah’s kingdom, Jerusalem could not be taken.
Differing Accounts of Hezekiah’s Obduracy
During Hezekiah’s reign, Judah enjoyed good commercial and political relations with Egypt. Hezekiah’s requests for assistance from Egypt were, however, opposed by Isaiah. At the time Hezekiah withheld tribute to the Assyrians, an Egyptian army arrived at Eltekeh. Ironically, the name meant “let God spue thee out.” Sennacherib, however, had no difficulty defeating the Egyptians and their Philistine allies.
Historians also note that upon his ascendancy to the Assyrian throne, Sennacherib tended to ignore Babylon, which was plotting rebellion. The Babylonians, looking for allies against their Assyrian overlords, sent an embassy to Hezekiah encouraging him to break with the Assyrians, withhold tribute, and join the rebellion.
The Siege of Jerusalem and Assyrian Withdrawal
Sennacherib’s attempt to defeat Hezekiah is recounted in the Old Testament in II Kings 18:13 – 19:37 as well as Isaiah 36 and 37. There are many similarities with Sennacherib’s Annals. The Old Testament account, however, is not pure history, but functions as religious writings designed to encourage faith and moral living.
Hezekiah, realizing that the Lord was displeased, repented and implored God’s forgiveness and help. The prophet Isaiah confirmed this repentance, promising deliverance from the Assyrian siege. In his account, the “angel of the Lord” “smote” the Assyrians, killing 185,000. The reader is reminded of the final plague in Egypt that precipitated the Exodus.
The Greek historian Herodotus gives a different account, suggesting that a plague of rodents disabled the weapons of the Assyrians forcing them to withdraw. Modern historians cite the possibility of pestilence that might have killed the Assyrians, forcing Sennacherib to lift the siege.
But some facts are clear. The Annals of Sennacherib, Herodotus’ account, and the Old Testament narrative corroborate that Hezekiah ultimately bought off Sennacherib with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver. Albert T. Clay, professor of Assyriology at Yale University in the early 20th Century, suggests that hostages were also part of the overdue tribute.
Aftermath of the Siege
Sennacherib returned to Nineveh where he was murdered by his sons. This death had been part of Isaiah’s prophecy. Entering a period of weak leadership, Assyria, long despised by the many vassal states for its brutality, would be defeated by a coalition of Mesopotamian forces dominated by the Babylonians, Medes, and Persians.
In keeping with another of Isaiah’s prophecies, the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed Jerusalem, forcibly moving thousands of people to Babylon in what became known as the Babylonian Captivity. The great temple was destroyed, but the will of the people lived on.
Sources:
- John Barton and Julia Bowden, The Original Story: God, Israel, and the World (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004)
- Alfred T. Clay, “Sennacherib,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Volume IV (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1939)
- James B. Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 3rd ed., (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969)
- Donald B. Redford, Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times (Princeton University Press, 1992)
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