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THE GLORY THAT WAS ASSYRIA
All Christians are at least once, faced with problems that seem overwhelming and threatening. The problems seem insurmountable and fraught with terrible consequences which we imagine ourselves facing. King Hezekiah of Judah faced such a terrible problem. It had a name and it was called Sennacherib. He was the king of Assyria from 705-681BC. His palace was in Nineveh, the largest city in the known ancient world until 612BC, when it was sacked by a coalition of formerly subject peoples (the Babylonians, Medes, Chaldeans, Persians, Scythians, and Cimmertians). |
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Assyria was the superpower of its day. Under the leadership of Sennacherib, Assyria reached its peak of power. It is no coincidence that it is at this time, that God picks a confrontation with Assyria. He will show his power and glory in the protection of his people. Judah was a small insignificant Kingdom compared to Assyria. No one would have bet on Judah in a military confrontation with this powerful empire. In fact, when the Assyrians come to conquer Judah, Sennacherib does not even go personally to Jerusalem but sends his adjutant Rabshakeh who was his chief cup bearer, obviously a very important position. Of this position and the person holding the title, Wikipedia states:
On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues, a person must be regarded as thoroughly trustworthy to hold the position. He must guard against poison in the king's cup and was sometimes required to swallow some of the wine before serving it. His confidential relations with the king often gave him a position of great influence. The position of cup-bearer is greatly valued and given only to a select few throughout history.
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| Sargon & Sennacherib |
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| Taylor's Prism (Annals of Sennacherib) |
Taylor's Prism related to Sennacherib's 8th military campaign. This was the fateful campaign that concerned King Hezekiah and Jerusalem.
Its location is in present day Iraq is in present day Iraq near the city of Mosul. Isis has done damage to it in a vain attempt to erase history.
This is the translation of this prism:
Sennacherib, the great king, the mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters, the wise shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of right, lover of justice, who lends support, who comes to the aid of the destitute, who performs pious acts, perfect hero, mighty man, first among all princes, the powerful one who consumes the insubmissive, who strikes the wicked with the thunderbolt; the god Assur, the great mountain, an unrivaled kinship has entrusted to me, and above all those who dwell in palaces, has made powerful my weapons; from the upper sea of the setting sun to the lower sea of the rising sun, he has brought the black-headed people in submission at my feet; and mighty kings feared my warfare, leaving their homes and flying alone, like the sidinnu, the bird of the cave, to some inaccessible place...
In my third campaign, I went against the Hittite-land. Lulê, king of Sidon, the terrifying splendor of my sovereignty overcame him, and far off into the midst of the sea he fled. There he died. Great Sidon, Little Sidon, Bît-Zitti, Zaribtu, Mahalliba, Ushu, Akzib, Akko, his strong, walled cities, where there were fodder and drink, for his garrisons, the terrors of the weapon of Assur, my lord, overpowered them and they bowed in submission at my feet. I seated Tuba'lu on the royal throne over them, and tribute, gifts for my majesty, I imposed upon him for all time, without ceasing.
From Menachem, the Shamsimurunite, Tuba'lu the Sidonite, Abdi-liti the Arvadite, Uru-milki the Gublite, Mitinti the Ashdodite Budu-ilu the Beth Ammonite, Kammusu-nadbi the Moabite, Malik-rammu the Edomite, kings of Amurru, all of them, numerous presents as their heavy tribute, they brought before me for the fourth time, and kissed my feet.
But Sidka, the king of Ashkelon, who had not submitted to my yoke, the gods of his father's house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, the seed of his paternal house, I tore away and brought to Assyria. Sharru-lu-dari, son of Rukibti, their former king, I set over the people of Ashkelon, and I imposed upon him the payment of tribute: presents to my majesty. He accepted my yoke. In the course of my campaign, Beth-Dagon, Joppa, Banaibarka, Asuru, cities of Sidka, who had not speedily bowed in submission at my feet, I besieged, I conquered, I carried off their spoil.
The officials, nobles, and people of Ekron, who had thrown Padi their king—bound by oath and curse of Assyria— into fetters of iron and had given him over to Hezekiah, the Judahite—he kept him in confinement like an enemy— their heart became afraid, and they called upon the Egyptian kings, the bowmen, chariots and horses of the king of Meluhha [Ethiopia], a countless host, and these came to their aid. In the neighborhood of Eltekeh, their ranks being drawn up before me, they offered battle. With the aid of Assur, my lord, I fought with them and brought about their defeat. The Egyptian charioteers and princes, together with the Ethiopian king's charioteers, my hands captured alive in the midst of the battle. Eltekeh and Timnah I besieged, I captured, and I took away their spoil.
I approached Ekron and slew the governors and nobles who had rebelled, and hung their bodies on stakes around the city. The inhabitants who rebelled and treated (Assyria) lightly I counted as spoil. The rest of them, who were not guilty of rebellion and contempt, for whom there was no punishment, I declared their pardon. Padi, their king, I brought out to Jerusalem, set him on the royal throne over them, and imposed upon him my royal tribute.
As for Hezekiah the Judahite, who did not submit to my yoke: forty-six of his strong, walled cities, as well as the small towns in their area, which were without number, by levelling with battering-rams and by bringing up seige-engines, and by attacking and storming on foot, by mines, tunnels, and breeches, I besieged and took them. 200,150 people, great and small, male and female, horses, mules, asses, camels, cattle and sheep without number, I brought away from them and counted as spoil. (Hezekiah) himself, like a caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city. I threw up earthworks against him— the one coming out of the city-gate, I turned back to his misery. His cities, which I had despoiled, I cut off from his land, and to Mitinti, king of Ashdod, Padi, king of Ekron, and Silli-bêl, king of Gaza, I gave (them). And thus I diminished his land. I added to the former tribute, and I laid upon him the surrender of their land and imposts—gifts for my majesty. As for Hezekiah, the terrifying splendor of my majesty overcame him, and the Arabs and his mercenary troops which he had brought in to strengthen Jerusalem, his royal city, deserted him. In addition to the thirty talents of gold and eight hundred talents of silver, gems, antimony, jewels, large carnelians, ivory-inlaid couches, ivory-inlaid chairs, elephant hides, elephant tusks, ebony, boxwood, all kinds of valuable treasures, as well as his daughters, his harem, his male and female musicians, which he had brought after me to Nineveh, my royal city. To pay tribute and to accept servitude, he dispatched his messengers..
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| Modern location of Nineveh |
To understand fully the might of the Assyrian war machine, this video might be illustrative.Had he added a sentence to the effect that the ruler would keep at his side a number of obsequious scribes who would magnify his smallest military success into a stupendous victory; who would demonstrate their mathematical ability by multiplying—by ten or twenty —the number of the enemy dead and captured, or the amount of tribute received from those who had warded off the royal wrath by speedy and abject submission; and who would, in balanced prose periods or in vague but ringing verse, transform a defeat which could not be passed over in silence, or a lucky escape from complete disaster in some foolish venture, into a dignified retreat before, say, the winter's bitter cold or the floods of springtime—had the prophet done this he would have given us not only the picture, but the gilded frame as well.
Two videos are included which provide a lot of detail. Especially useful is the second one by Bruce Gore. Both provide excellent archeological information on the Assyrians, the inscriptions, and general Bible history.
The first thing that believers can learn from the example of Hezekiah is to lay the problem before the Lord as he did when he took the letter from the Assyrians and put before the altar of the Lord.
And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.
Hezekiah was following the advice that Peter would give Christians 800 years later when he said, Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (I Peter 5:6-7)
Obviously, the Lord knew the problem Hezekiah was facing. He told all believers this when Jesus said, But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye, therefore, like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. What kind of a God is this that knows what you need before you even ask? He is the God who controls the entire universe. He is the Lord that has counted every hair on every head, who knows when a sparrow falls, who feeds both the lion and the lamb.
This laying-before-the-Lord process was not for God's benefit but for Hezekiah's! Jesus himself verified this when he said in John 16:23-24: ...Verily, verily, I say unto you. Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
Hezekiah acknowledged that God is the only being that has the right to that name among all the fake gods of this Earth whether they were as they made back then of stone having to be fed and clothed by men, or as now more subtle concepts and ideas that are for all practical the gods of the modern world. He acknowledges that the Lord made all that man sees in the universe.
Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.
This request was not about Hezekiah. It was not about his kingdom, it was not about his pride in being dethroned and conquered, it was about THE GLORY OF GOD. So it should be with all believers! Prayer is a request that the Lord bring glory to HIMSELF by some request made to him. The true believer, in the end, does not really care what happens to him. The Holy Spirit in him only cares that GOD BE GLORIFIED even if it by the believer's death!
Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood, and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. 19 Now, therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.
Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood, and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. 19 Now, therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.
The Assyrians were indeed frightening, majestic, powerful and numerous. Judah appeared to be destined to be just another country on the long list of nations decimated by Assyria! The gods of the other nations could be cast into the fire. Their gods could be humiliated by men because they had been made by men. They could be destroyed by men because they were the creation of men. Why did Hezekiah request for the Lord to save Judah? Is it because they were worthy? Truly they were not! Was it because they had followed his commandments? No! There is only one reason that a true believer asks for deliverance. It is to demonstrate and testify that the Lord is a LIVING GOD that is active in the world of men and decides the outcomes of wars, nations, and individuals!
Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 21 This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him;
To the mighty Assyrian warrior, a virgin maiden was one of the lowest and inexperienced members of their society. The ultimate insult to them was for Isaiah to present Judah as a virgin daughter. Her derision and laughter at the mighty Assyrians were a tremendous effrontery.
22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. 23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said,With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. 24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places.
The arrogance of the Assyrians is on full display here. Their armies were so large that they would drink small rivers dry. There are accounts at a later time of the mighty Persian King Xerxes' army:
There are many stories of Xerxes' army drinking entire rivers dry (which is useful because it made them easier to cross): "On his road from Doriscus he first passed the Samothracian fortresses; of these, the city built farthest to the west is called Mesambria. Next to it is the Thasian city of Stryme; between them runs the river Lisus, which now could not furnish water enough for Xerxes' army, but was exhausted." In one case, a lake is drained by Xerxes' animals alone: "From these regions, he passed by the cities of the mainland, one of which has near it a lake of about thirty stadia in circuit, full of fish and very salty; this was drained dry by watering the beasts of burden alone."25 Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it?
29 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. 30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.
The Different Accounts of the Slaying of the 185,000 Assyrians
Earlier above Sennacherib's own account of what happened with Jerusalem and King Hezekiah has already been cited. Below there remain the two other extra-biblical explanations of the event.
We have Herodotus' account which he claimed to have received from an Egyptian priest:
...when Sanacharib, king of the Arabians and Assyrians, marched his vast army into Egypt, the warriors one and all refused to come to his aid. On this the monarch, greatly distressed, entered into the inner sanctuary, and, before the image of the god, bewailed the fate which impended over him. As he wept he fell asleep, and dreamed that the god came and stood at his side, bidding him be of good cheer, and go boldly forth to meet the Arabian host, which would do him no hurt, as he himself would send those who should help him. Sethos, then, relying on the dream, collected such of the Egyptians as were willing to follow him, who were none of them warriors, but traders, artisans, and market people; and with these marched to Pelusium, which commands the entrance into Egypt, and there pitched his camp. As the two armies lay here opposite one another, there came in the night, a multitude of field-mice, which devoured all the quivers and bowstrings of the enemy, and ate the thongs by which they managed their shields. Next morning they commenced their fight, and great multitudes fell, as they had no arms with which to defend themselves. There stands to this day in the temple of Vulcan, a stone statue of Sethos, with a mouse in his hand, and an inscription to this effect- "Look on me, and learn to reverence the gods.
Josephus and ancient Jewish historian had a different explanation in Antiquities of the Jews (10.1.5):
Now when Sennacherib was returning from his Egyptian war to Jerusalem, he found his army under Rabshakeh his general in danger [by a plague], for God had sent a pestilential distemper upon his army; and on the very night of the siege, a hundred fourscore and five thousand, with their captains and generals, were destroyed...We have the biblical account described in Isaiah 37:37-38:
Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: 'He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,' Says the LORD. 'For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'" Then the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses--all dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh."Josephus' account seems to mostly agree with the biblical account. There is no contradiction between the angel of the Lord "slaying" the Assyrians and disease being the means the Lord used. Rusty Russell from Bible History Online makes an interesting observation wherein he quotes Professor George Rawlinson from his book Historical Illustrations Of The Old Testament,
Sennacherib during his later years made no expedition further westward than Cilicia were the Assyrian designs against Syria and Egypt resumed till toward close of the reign of Esarhaddon But besides this tacit confirmation of Scriptural narrative profane history us with an important explicit tes Great aestmc timony The Egyptian priests declared to Herodotus out of their records, that, about a century and a half the conquest of their country by Cambyses an invasion of it had been attempted by Sennacherib King of the Assyrians and Arabians who marched a vast host to the border of Egyptian territory where he was met by Egyptians under their king Sethos two hosts faced each other near Pelusium the most eastern branch of the Nile Here as they lay encamped army over army there came they said in the night multitude of field mice which devoured all quivers and bowstrings of the Assyrians ate the thongs by which they managed shields Next morning as soon as they discovered what had happened they their flight and great multitudes of them fell as they had no arms wherewith to defend themselves In commemoration of the event S ethos they added the Egyptian king erected a monument of himself which they showed to the Greek traveller It was a stone statue of a man with a mouse in his hand and bore an inscription Look on me and learn to reverence the gods. We have here evidently an allegorized version of that terrible calamity which overtook the host of Sennacherib in the night and which was followed in the morning by the hasty flight of the survivors The particular form of the allegory was determined by the character of the work of art which had been erected to celebrate the occasion where the mouse in the hand was probably a mere symbol of ruin and destruction.In a research paper, written in 1903 on the subject of whether Sennacherib made an invasion of Egypt Stephen Langdon, in his paper titled, Evidence for An Advance on Egypt by Sennacherib in the Campaign of 701-700BC states,
What calamity overtook Sennacherib in the Egyptian campaign is unknown, but it is most certain that the story of the slaughter at Jerusalem is an identification of the misfortune in the south with a traditional account of a catastorphe near Jerusalem. Certainly Sennacherib met with no defeat to weaken his prestige in the West, for Hezekiah not only gave tribute, but sent signs of submission to Senncaherib after the latter had returned to Assyria. Moab and the states east of the Jordan also sent tribute, and the fact that the West gave no more trouble for a century is proof that any account of a fearful catastrophe is a fabrication.Obviously, Langdon was of the school, fashionable in those days, of questioning the Bible's veracity and giving tremendous weight to secular sources. To think that the godly writers of Kings would lie to make Isaiah look good is abhorrent to the whole idea of divinely inspired scripture. If the Lord did not slay these 185,000 men then, there is no point of believing any scripture or of believing in a personal all-powerful God who intervenes in the lives of nations and men.
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