Ancient Stories Verified: Sennacherib's Downfall at the Gates of Jerusalem

For thousands of years, historians looked to the Bible for historical insights. As long as Christianity and major religions ruled supreme, everyone agreed that the Bible was the most credible historical source. It was the go-to text for dating eras, kings, and kingdoms throughout the Middle East.

However, during the Enlightenment, as the influence of religion waned, a new academic conversation began in Europe. It was a time of revolutions and change, with people eager to dismantle the old guard. The church, being one of those symbols, saw its influence shrink along with that of the Bible, which no longer stood as a precise historical record among scholars.

During that era, historians began to question the Bible's historical accuracy and sought other sources for historical narrative. Those who held onto biblical narratives were seen as outdated and primitive.

Few archaeological discoveries had been made back then. But as time passed, more and more evidence came to light, slowly revealing the historical picture anew.

The Assyrian Empire was one of the grand empires of the ancient world. At its peak under Ashurbanipal, it stretched from the borders of Iran in the east to the Mediterranean shores in the west, and from Turkey in the north to Egypt in the south. Among the territories ruled by the Assyrians were the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Known for their brutality toward rebels, the Assyrians fielded a vast army with advanced siege engines and fierce tactics. Any city that dared to rebel faced the might of the Assyrian military, which would besiege, conquer, and devastate the city, exiling its inhabitants to the most distant parts of the empire. Thus, all kingdoms and cities understood that rebellion against Assyria offered no second chance if they failed.

In the seventh year of Hezekiah's reign, the Assyrian Empire controlled all of Israel, with the Kingdom of Israel destroyed after a failed rebellion in King Hoshea's time, and Judah paying heavy tribute to Assyria. Despite the risk, Hezekiah decided to rebel against the Assyrian king. He had prepared for this uprising years in advance, fortifying cities in Judah, digging the Siloam Tunnel, strengthening his hold on the land, and defeating the Philistines.

The Bible describes the rebellion as unsuccessful. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, captured all the fortified cities Hezekiah had strengthened, except for Jerusalem. Realizing the rebellion's failure, Hezekiah extracted treasures from the Temple and royal treasury—three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold—and offered them to the Assyrian king, hoping to spare Jerusalem. Sennacherib accepted Hezekiah's tribute and sent his commander Rabshakeh with a vast army to Jerusalem. There, Rabshakeh openly taunted Hezekiah and his God.

Hashem promised Hezekiah: "Thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, 'He shall not enter this city or shoot an arrow there or advance with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came, he will return; he will not enter this city,' declares Hashem." That night, an angel struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Hearing this, Sennacherib retreated to Nineveh, and was soon murdered by his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer.

Over the years, archaeological evidence has confirmed each part of the story as it is described in the Bible. In 1830, Sennacherib's Prism was found in his palace at Nineveh. On the prism, he boasts of his campaign against Judah, "As for Hezekiah, the Judean, I besieged 46 of his fortified cities, walled towns, and numerous smaller villages near them. Captured them by advancing siege ramps and by battering them down with my clay balls." Concerning the bribe Hezekiah sent so he wouldn't attack Jerusalem, Sennacherib wrote: "Hezekiah himself did homage to my majesty, with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver," closely matching the account in the Book of Kings. Lacking a description of Jerusalem's capture, it indicates Sennacherib did not succeed in taking the city.

As for Sennacherib's assassination by his sons, the Babylonian Chronicle describes his murder at the hands of his son. Josephus Flavius also documents Sennacherib’s murder by his own children, further corroborated by another document written by another son of Sennacherib, detailing his father's assassination by his brothers.

All these findings teach us not to be swayed by those who doubt the sacred Torah. They may seem knowledgeable and confident, but casting doubt doesn't require great wisdom. It turns out they aren't all that wise after all.