Old Testament | The Biblical Account of the Defeat and Death of King Sennacherib of Assyria

After failing to conquer Jerusalem, King Sennacherib of Assyria (r. 705-681 B.C.) retreated from the battlefield and returns to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. While worshiping at temple of an unknown god called Nisroch, he was assassinated by two of his sons - Adrammelech and Sharezer. After Adrammelech and Sharezer flee into the land of Ararat (modern-day Armenia), another one of Sennacherib's son - Esar-haddon - becomes the king of the Assyrian Empire.

Assyrian records collaborate with the biblical narrative. While the Second Book of Kings states King Sennacherib was murdered by being stabbed by a sword, the Assyrian accounts give two different accounts. One account claims that the king was stabbed to death while the other one claims that he was crushed to death under the weight of a giant idol. After King Sennacherib’s assassination, Esar-haddon took the throne and defeated his brothers' factions in a six-week-long civil war. He then had his brothers' families and associates executed.

Music:
Desert City - Kevin

Works Cited:

Source of the text:
The HarperCollins Study Bible (2006). New York: HarperCollins.

Additional information on King Sennacherib of Assyria:
https://www.ancient.eu/sennacherib/