Sennacherib

SENNACHERIB, King of Assyria, Son and Successor of Shalmaneser; he began to reign in the Year of the World 3290, before Christ 710, before the vulgar Era 714. He reign’d but four Years, having been kill’d by his own Sons in the Year of the World 3294, as we shall see afterwards. Hezekiah, King of Judah, having shook 2 Kings xviii.7,13.off the Yoke of the Assyrians, which King Ahaz, his Father, had suffer’d to be put on 2 Kings xvi. 11. 2 Chron. xxviii.20, 21.by Tiglath-pilneser King of Assyria; Sennacherib had Notice of the Revolt of this Prince, marched an Army against him,¹ and took all the strong Cities of Judah. Hezekiah seeing that he had nothing left but Jerusalem, and which, perhaps, he found Difficulty enough to secure, sent Ambassadors to Sennacherib, who was then engaged at the Siege of Lachish, and told him; “ I have committed a Fault; but withdraw your Army out of my Territories, and I will bear whatever you shall impose upon me.” Sennacherib demanded of him three hundred Talents of Silver, and thirty Talents of Gold; which Hezekiah remitted to him soon after. But yet the King of Assyria would not leave him for all this.

He sent from Lachish to Jerusalem three of his chief Officers, Tartan, Rab-saris, and Rab -shakeh, to summon Hezekiah to surrender himself. Rab-shakeh, among his other Discourse, utter’d many Blasphemies against God, and many Insults against Hezekiah. For this may be seen the Articles of RAB-SHAKEH and HEZEKIAH. In the mean Time Sennacherib quitted the Siege of Lachish, and apply’d himself to that of Libnah. Rab-shakeh 2 Kings xix. 8.having given him an Account of what he had said to Hezekiah, and having told him that this Prince return’d him no Answer, Sennacherib wrote a Letter to him, in which he urged him to return to his Duty, and to follow the Example of so many other Nations that had submitted to his Empire. At the same Time he went away with all his Army, to meet Tirhakah, King of Ethiopia, or of Cush, who was marching towards him to give him Battle. But the Lord sent a destroying Angel against the Army of Sennacherib, who put to Death in one Night an hundred and eighty-five thousand Men. Sennacherib rising next Morning, and finding himself almost 2 Kings xix. 35.alone, was forced to return with all speed to Niniveh. But he did not live long there in Peace; for while he was paying his Adorations to his God Nisroch in his Temple, his two Sons Adrammelech and Sharezer slew him with their Swords, and then fled into Armenia. Esar-haddon his Son reign’d in his stead, in the Year of the World 3294, before Christ 706, befor the vulgar Era 710.

Tob. i. 21.Tobit acquaints us, that when Sennacherib return’d to Niniveh, he began to persecute the captive Israelites whom he look’d upon as the Cause of his Disgrace. But five and forty Days were hardly over, according to the Latin Text, or five and fifty according to the Greek, but this Prince was put to Death by his own Sons, as has been now related. The Rabbins think,² that what determin’d Sennacherib’s Sons to use him thus, was a Resolution he had made, as they were inform’d, of sacrificing them to his Idol. Wherefore they thought it best to prevent him.

As to the Defeat of his Army by the destroying Angel, our Dissertation may be consulted upon this Subject, prefix’d to the Commentary upon Isaiah. The Rabbins believe,³ that Fire fell upon them from Heaven, and reduced their Bodies to Ashes, without doing any Harm to their Cloaths, which fell to the Possession of the Israelites, as they pretend. They found this Tradition upon a Passage of Isaiah. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, send among his fat ones Leanness, and under his Glory he shall kindle a burning, like the burning of a Fire. By Glory, they say, is meant their magnificent Habits. Other Hebrews⁴ had told St. Jerome, that the Angel Gabriel was sent forth among the Assyrians, to destroy them. Some fansy⁵ it was the Plague, or some internal Distemper, that kill’d them all in one Night. Others will have it, that this vast Army was disturb’d by a Tempest, and that being seized by a panick Fear, and mistaking each other for Enemies, they turn’d their Arms against themselves, and kill’d one another.

Herodotus speaking of Sennacherib, relates his Disaster in a very different Manner from what we have here seen. He quotes the Authority of the Egyptian Priests, who had told it him in this Manner. Sethon King of Egypt, and Priest of Vulcan, having been attacked by Sennacherib King of the Arabians and the Assyrians, and seeing himself deserted by his own Soldiers, address’d himself to Vulcan, and begg’d of him some speedy Assistance. Vulcan appear’d to him the Night following, and promis’d to help him. Sethon therefore began to march with the few Troops he had remaining, and advanced as far as Pelusium. The same Night a Body of Field-Rats came pouring upon the Camp of the Assyrians, and gnaw’d the Thongs of their Bucklers, and the Strings of their Bows; so that the next Morning, when they found themselves in no Condition to make use of their Arms, they were forc’d to betake themselves to Flight.

The greatest Part of Commentators are of Opinion, that the Army of Sennacherib was destroyed before Jerusalem, as they were preparing for the Siege of this City. But it appears Isai. x. 24, 25, 26.plainly from Isaiah, that Sennacherib did not actually form the Siege of this Place, and that it was in his March against Tirhakah, that this Calamity fell upon him. Berosi apud Joseph. Antiq. l. x. c. 1. Joseph. Antiq. l. x. c. 1.Berosus tells us, that Sennacherib had carry’d the War into Egypt, and had subdued all Asia. Josephus relates, that this Prince having spent a long Time in the Siege of Pelusium, when his Works were now far advanced, and he was upon the Point of becoming Master of the Place, he was obliged to raise the Seige, for fear the King of Ethiopia should surprize him in his Camp, who was now advancing with a vast Army, to the Assistance of the Egyptians. Lastly, the Rabbins pretend, that the Angel that destroyed Author. Tradit. in Lib. Reg. & Paral.the hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians in one Night, cut off the Hair and Beard of Sennacherib himself, and sent him home into his own Country thus loaded with Ignominy and Disgrace. They found this Tradition upon these Isa. vii. 20.Words of Isaiah: In the same Day shall the Lord shave with a Razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the River, by the King of Assyria, the Head and the Hair of the Feet, and it shall also consume the Beard.

The Babylonian Thalmud will have it, that the Army of Sennacherib was destroy’d by Thunder. The Targums, or Chaldee Paraphrases, are quoted, which affirm the Prideaux’s same thing. Others believe, that they perish’d Connect. t. 1. l. 1. p. 43.by means of a hot Wind, that God caus’d to blow against them, a Wind very common in those Parts,⁶ and which makes great Ravages there, stifling thousands of Persons in a Moment, as it often happens to those great Caravans of Mahometans, that go yearly on Pilgrimage to Mecca. JeremiahJer. li. 1. calls this Wind a destroying Wind. The Threatning made by Isaiah to Sennacherib; Behold I will send a Blast upon him, and he shall hear a Rumour, seems also to insinuate this great Wind.

D’Herbel. Bib. Orien. p. 804.Khondemir relates, that in the 18th Year of the Hegira, or 640 of Jesus Christ, under the Kaliphship of Omer, while the Mussulmen were making their Conquests in Syria, and at a Time that the Pestilence raged; they found in a Sepulchre under Ground in Mount Libanus, the Body of Sennacherib, in a Chair of Gold inscribed with Syrian or Chaldee Characters, which were to this Effect; “ The greatest Evil “ that can happen to Men, is the Forgetfulness of Death, and of the Account that “ they must give to God of their Actions; “ although the Sepulchres of their Friends “ and Relations, with which they are surrounded, give them notice of these “ two Things. ” But I doubt very much whether this Tomb was that of Sennacherib King of Niniveh. They add, that this Sennacherib we now speak of, was of the Race of Esau, and that he had suffer’d great Calamities in his Life-time. This also is not compatible with that Sennacherib mention’d in Scripture.

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