MESOPOTAMIA

Paul Conway, Associate Professor, 2011©

Lesson Summary:
This lesson serves as a historical overview of the region and civilization known as
“Mesopotamia” and its overlap of history in relationship to biblical history and the
biblical record.
Objectives:
1. To give students a geographic and historic overview of Mesopotamia from Sumner
through the Babylonian Captivity.
2. Present students with overlap between historical record, artifact and the biblical
account.
3. Provide a summary of history and civilizations in the area known as
“Mesopotamia.”

I. (Slides 1-6) Geography

A. #1 The Ancient Near Eastern World:

1. This is the stage for the major events of History from beginnings to the
end of the New Testament.

B. #2 Two major Rivers

1. “Tigris(275 Miles)

2. Euphrates(200 Miles).

C. #3 Notice the green region.

o Everything that has water grows, everything that doesn‟t, dies.
o Irrigation is key in this region of the world.
D. #4 These rivers were fed by run off waters primarily from the Zagros
Mountain Range.

E. #5 Civilization, according to archaeologists begin in this region.

o Not cave dwelling.

o The first villages.
o This is called the “Hunting Gathering Stage of Mankind”.
o It upgrades to villages and cities as time progresses.
o The civilization was called Sumer.
o Book “Civilization Begins at Sumer”
o Also “civilization before Greece and Rome” by Saggs.

F. #6 Irrigation City States and Civilization

1. The Dynamic of Water

a) Water Source for Mesopotamia

(1) Egypt had the Nile

(2) Israel had rain and the Jordan

(3) Mesopotamia had the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

b) Water Source Dynamics

(1) Until the Industrial Revolution all cultures and civilizations

were agricultural.

(2) In times of drought Israel went to Egypt.

(3) Egypt was watered by the Nile supplied by melting snow in
North African Mountains and rainy seasons.

(a) The rise of the Nile happened in perfect timing of the

harvests and when they needed water.

(b) The water was irrigated and utilized providing great

crops

(4) Israel was more dependent on rain and the Biblical account
has the Israelites often going to Egypt for food in times of
famine.

(5) Mesopotamia, like Egypt was fed by a river source, two of

them. The Tigris and Euphrates.

(a) The rivers were supplied by melting snow from the

Mountains of Armenia and the spring rainfall in the
drainage basins of the Zab rivers.

(b) Unlike Egypt, they did not come at times compatible

with many foods.

(c) Barley was the main staple of the Mesopotamian diet.

(d) The Rivers would rise and deposit soil from the
mountains that could support life. In fact they rise to flood
stage and cover mass areas.

(e) Without irrigation after this deposit, the soil left behind
is useless.
 (f) Hammurabi even begins his law code referencing his
act of irrigation

(g) “The lord, who made Erech live, who established the
waters of abundance for its people… the one who set
grazing-places and watering-places for lagash and girsu…
the one who caused there to be an abundant water supply
for Cuthah”. (Saggs pg. 371)

(h) NOTE: this is also the civilization that created the

“hanging gardens of Babylon”. Understand the fact that it
was not only a wonder of the world for its amazing beauty
and architectural accomplishment, but also a magnificent
act of irrigation in this barren region of the world.

2. Irrigation as Power

a) Irrigation as power.

(1) Since the watering of Mesopotamia was not convenient to

vital crops irrigation was necessary.

(2) Anyone administratively able to join people together under

the banner of irrigation often found themselves as leaders.

(3) This is the beginnings of city-states

(4) Communities of people around an irrigation system joining

together for producing food, trade and safety together.

(5) Irrigation and the ability to administrate such a task equaled

power in Mesopotamia.
II. Slides 7-22 Sumer
A. #7 The ANE World by the time of the Patriarchs.
 The days of Abraham.

B. #8 Summary of Ancient Empires through the New Testament

 Summarize them briefly.

C. #9 Sumerian Empire
 Date

D. #10 Sumer & The King and Mesopotamia

E. #11 The king as divine steward
a. The Sumerians and the succeeding civilizations saw kingship as a divine
institution.
i. In the Epic of Etana we read.
1. At that time no tiara (crown) had been worn… Scepter,
headband, tiara and staff were deposited in heaven before
Anu (a god)… There use to be no (royal) direction of her
(the goddess’s) people; Kingship (then) came down from
heaven.”
ii. Unlike Egypt, who saw their pharaoh as the incarnation of a god,
Mesopotamian culture saw their kings as a steward of the gods
empowered to carry out their bidding.
iii. The welfare of the nation depended on the welfare of the king. The
balance of the gods and the universe were balanced on the office of
the kings giving him central and great importance.
F. #12 Steward to build temples
 b. In the epic of creation regarding Marduk and Tiamat we see after a great
victory in won, temple building was the next step.
i. “Now Oh Lord, who has established our deliverance, what can we
bestow upon you as a favor? Let us make a shrine” (Epic of
Creation in Babylonian Creation Account)
ii. This is also seen in the Baal Cycle of Semitic region when Baal
becomes high God and El has a temple built for him via Asheroth‟s
request.
iii. Kings would have visions for temple building in A.N.E.
c. Biblical Parallel compared with David in 2 Samuel 7:2.
i. “Said unto Nathan the Prophet, see now, I dwell in a house of
cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent. 2 Sam. 7:2
ii. This was spoken after David won the victory over his enemies and
was established on the throne of Jerusalem.
G. #13 Steward to Restore Temples
d. They were inspired by the gods to restore dilapidated temples.
e. There were extensive rituals involved in the process.
f. Quote from Mesopotamian Lit. in Saggs Book pg. 365
i. “When the walls of the temple fell into ruins… pull down and
rebuild that temple… in the favorable month… shall make
lamentations… set up three cult stands… make music… shall
raise his hands… do obeisance… shall recite a penitential
psalm…(Saggs pg. 365).
ii. Other such inscriptions speak of ritual purifications with water,
nights of prayer etc…
g. Biblical accounts of this process.
i. It was a religious ritual in the context of his religious position.
 ii. This is exactly what the Medo-Persian Rulers did with Ezra and
Nehemiah. Full account in Ezra 1:2-8
2
iii. Ezra 1:2 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD,
the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and
he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah
iv. This is also seen in the rededication of the temple during Josiah‟s
day when the Law of the Lord was found. 1 Kings 22:1-23:21. The
Law of God is found, the people purge themselves and the land of
idolatry, the temple is restored and sacrifices are made to God.

H. #14. The king as steward of Justice

a. The earliest form of political organization in Mesopotamia was as Dr.
Saggs puts it „primitive democracy‟
b. Although the king was king, ultimate power rested with a general
assembly of all adult freemen. However, the king was always seen as
law giver and implementer and steward of divine justice.
c. “One of the most marked features of ancient Mesopotamian
civilization was its respect for the rule of law.
i. 95% of all Sumerian Lit. is law in nature and Akkadian not far
behind that. Some apodictic, others casuistic, still more
contracts in nature but massive amounts of legal literature.
d. Akkadian and Sumerian word for “Justice” lit. means “the straight
thing” similar to the Jewish concept of the “straight and narrow way”
e. “”When Marduk commissioned me to set right the people of the
land and to cause them to have government, I set truth and justice
throughout the land and made the people prosperous.” (Saggs pg.
372)
 f. Jewish Law was primarily for personal holiness to God and fellow
man with ritual or economic law as secondary.
g. Mesopotamian law focused highly on economics and trade and very
little on ritual life. Myth engaged that more but even so not at the
level Judaism does.

I. #15 The king as shepherd of the people

1. The Title of the king as Shepherd was a common title in Mesopotamia
2. “All the people rely on you, O Shepherd,, in connection with the
propitious (utterance of ) your mouth” (Saggs pg. 371).
3. “I the shepherd, have build the house” (Saggs pg. 368).
4. Not that In Egypt the Pharaoh as god bankrupt the nation of the Old
kingdom and after a great depression (1st Intermediate Period) the
Pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom were known as “Shepherds” because it
resonated better with the people.
5. This title conveys a sense of care and compassion with the peoples best
interest in mind.
6. This is a biblical title seen over and over again however, both leaders and
God are seen as the shepherd
7. 2 Samuel 5:2; 2 Samuel 7:7; 1 Chron. 17:6; Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11;
Ezekiel 34:16; Mt 2:6; Jn 10:14; Heb. 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 7:17.
8. The point here is that Both God and his leaders are seen as “shepherds”.
They both care for the flock unlike a hired hand who will not look out for
the interest of the flock

M. #16 Tower of Babel

a. Zigurat of Ur-Nammu
b. Believed to be the construct of the Tower of Babel.
N. #17 Tower of Babel in Extra-Biblical Literature of the Ancient Near East.
a. Read Genesis 11:1-9
b. In you Text “Readings from the Ancient Near East pg. 71.\

O. #18 Sumerian as the ancient universal language.

a. Pass around replica from Univ. of Pen. “Sumerian Text”

P. #19 Sumerian Text

a. Notice the picture and dot combinations.
b. Similar to the pictorial concept of Hieroglyphics, yet worlds apart.

Q. #20 Cuneiform
a. Pass around replica‟s from Univ. of Penn.
b. Lit. “Wedge Shaped”
c. A later “Universal Writing for Mesopotamia”
d. Although the language barrier existed among tribes, it was “re-unified”
with the universal trade and commerce language of “Cuneiform”

R. #21 Cuneiform in boxes

S. #22 Religion of Sumner
a. Could waste a life time on the deities of the ANE.
b. Marduk and Timat are key ones.
c. Story of Abraham and Mesopotamian Idolatry.
i. Joshua 24:24 says Abrahams father and Brothers were Idol
worshipers.
ii. Jewish Lit. says they were also “Idol Makers” for a profession.
 iii. Story from Midrash (Jewish Commentary of the OT) about
Abraham keeping the Idol shop for his father.
1. The Midrash answers all these questions. There it is explained
that when Abraham was still a young child, he realized that
idol worship was nothing but foolishness. To make his point,
one day, when Abraham was asked to watch the store, he took
a hammer and smashed all the idols - except for the largest.
His father came home aghast. "What happened?!" he shouted.
"It was amazing, Dad," replied Abraham. "The idols all got
into a fight and the biggest idol won!" His father said, “But
son, that‟s ridiculous, there only idols of stone and wood”.
And Abraham replied “Ah ha, Ah ha”.

III. Slides #23- 27

A. #23 AGADE (AKKAD) Empire and Date
 Nation of the Akkadian Language, Semitic (From the Hebrew family)

B. #24 Image of Sargon the Great

 First official Empire builder of Mesopotamia

C. #25 Region of where Akkad was.

 Controlled the entire region.

D. #26 Image of Sargon the Great

E. #27 Readings from the Ancient Near East.

  Pg. 75 "Readings from the Ancient Near East”
 Small Group Activity.
 Who does this sound like?
 What is similar?
 What is different?

IV. Slides #28-39

A. #28 Old Babylonian Empire with dates

 Not the Babylon of Daniel, this is much earlier.
 That Babylon would come for another 1,300 years

B. #29 Law Codes

 Ur-Nammu,
 Text. Pg. 104.
 Less than 40 laws preserved.

C. #30 Creation Epics

 Marduk and Timat
a) Cuts her in two.
b) “Tiamat” lit. waters.
c) Cf. Genesis “God separates the water from the water.
d) Also called the creature Rahab (Isa. 51:9)

D. #31 Flood Epics

 Epic of Gilgamesh
E. #32 Epic of Gilgamesh
 Text. Pg. 66-70

F. #33 Code of Hammurabbi

 282 laws
 Text pg. 111.
 Replica @ Harvard you will see.

G. #34 Code of Hammurabbi in another format.

H. #35 Law Codes at a kings “Idol”

 Placed around the kingdom
 Sign of “Omni-presence”
 Idol of the King cf. Adam as Gods “Idol” or “Image” in Garden.\

I. #36 King Hammurabbi’s History.

King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC)

o General Comments

o His name rendered Hammurabi or Hammurqi based on eastern

and western Semitic versions.
o Left his mark as a Statesmen (Successful war leader) and Law
Giver (His Code, the code of Hammurabi)
o The Babylon he ruled is covered below the reach of the
archeologist. All of our information comes from massive
amounts of caches of tables etc. It is a better documentation of a
 period in history than the times of Christ and the N.T. according
to George Roux.
o Hammurabi the Statesman/ Warrior
o Previous generations were building up the fortifications
o Hammurabi spent the first few years of his reign consolidating
his throne, building temples, canals etc.
o He patiently waited for opportunity
o HAMMURAPI‟S CAMPAINGS
 Years 1-5 Secured the throne
 Years 6-11 Multiple offensives
 South against Larsa, Urik and Isin
 North Eshnunna, Mari, Ashur and surrounding areas
 Years 11-28 Problematic Consolidation of His kingdom
 Year 29 Successfully conquered and ANE of
Mesopotamia
 Could Take title of “King of the Universe” or “King of
Sumer and Akkad”
J. #37 Hammurabi the Lawgiver

o What Hammurabi felt he did as a lawgiver

I rooted out the enemy above and below;
I made an end of war
I promoted the welfare of our land
I made the people rest in friendly habitations;
I did not let them have anyone to terrorize them.
The great gods called me,
 So I became the beneficent shepherd whose scepter is
righteous;In my bosom I carried the people of the land of
Sumer and Akkad;
They prospered under my protection;
I have governed them in peace;
I have sheltered them in my strength.

K. #38 Hammurabi Quoted concerning his “Code” or “Law”

b) “To cause Justice to prevail in the country To destroy the wicked

and evil That the strong may not oppress the weak”
J. #39 Hammurabbi Quoted concerning his “Code” for instruction to the
people.
Any person feeling wronged in a legal matter should go in front of
the statue of me as “king of Justice” and also have my inscribed stele
read out loud to him so he can hear my precious words and my stele
can explain the case to him. By understanding his legal situation, he
can be comforted.”

“If (such a leader) has intelligence and wishes to guide his land
aright, he should heed the words which I wrote on my stele, and it
shall surely show him the road and the way”
V. Slides 40 KASSITES

A. #40 Kassite Empire

 Reigned over Babylon for over half a millennium.
 Left litter trace of their existence despite having the greater success over
this region.
  Not much interaction with biblical history
 Therefore no much time spent on studying them.

VI. Slides 41-43 GENERAL ASSYIRAN HISTORY & KING PROFILES.

A. #41 Dates
 Assyrian Empire 1400 – 1200 BC
a) Littler to no interaction with biblical history.
b) Therefore, littler will be said.
 Neo Assyrian Empire 1200 – 612 BC
a) Major Interaction with biblical history
b) Much to say.
 The Dawn of Assyrian Dominance in the Fertile Crescent
 By the end of the 10th Century Assyria was at her lowest ebb.
Trade Routes were in foreign hands
Lack of National Resource

Despite her disadvantages, she was a tough tight compact country with
the most potential in Mesopotamia
She had horses, chariots and warriors trained by years of constant
fighting

Her neighbors and enemies were either occupied or weekend by their

own conquest or the conquest of others

Babylonia was plundered by the Aramaeans

Elam was in a silent phase
Egypt was being invaded and ruled by Lybians
The Medes and Persians were still geographically isolated
 It was in 911 B.C. the Assyrian Empire awoke.

 She began to Annex small chieftain territories to her kingdom

 The detailed records they kept, show a perpetual horde of goods taken by
Assyria

This would snowball setting the stage for the great rules of the 8th and 7th
centuries.

B. #42 POLITICAL AND CULTURAL

Taxes, plunder, pillaging and deportation
Assyria Took booty and Taxed defeated regions heavily
 Detailed records show a massive amassment of wealth
 This wealth would later fuel momentum for two centuries of
dominance in the Fertile Crescent
 After ravishing a defeated nations wealth, heavy taxation was
imposed
 Silence of Correspondence to satellite states shows Assyria
gathered the wealth to its central government but did very little
to spread it among the improvement of life of the nations it
conquered.

B. #43 List of Assyrian Kings of the “Neo-Assyrian Empire”

 Ashurnasirpal II (883-859)
 Shalmaneser III (858–824 B.C.E.).
 Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)
 Shalmaneser V (726-722)
  Sargon II (721-705)
 Sennacherib (704-681)
 Esarhaddon (680-699)
 Ashurbanipal (668-627)

VII. SLIDES 44-51 ASHURNASIRPAL III

A. #44 Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC)

 Conquers Northern Babylon, Lebanon, and the Philistines.
a) Show on a map the region.
B. #45 Statue of Ashurnasirpal II Found at Calah
 Pass around statue of Ashurnasirpal II.
 His reign was generally one of peace and stability.

C. #46 Statue up close.

 Statue found in his Assyrian capitol Kalhu (Calhu) today seen as modern
Nimrud.
 Look at Ancient Mesopotamia map for Nimrud.
 Original statue 7 ½ feet high.
 Gives perspective to the size of the gates (Click back to previous pic)

D. #47 Stele of Ashurnasirpal II

E. #48 Like most ANE Leaders, He collected animals and plants from around the
world and had his own game preserve.
 Dr. Walt Kaiser “You weren‟t a real man unless you killed a lion on the
back of a chariot with him seconds away from killing you”.
 F. #49 Lion dying.
 These images are prevalent in his inscriptions, more than most.

G. #50 Tree of Life Motif.

 This is a Mesopotamian concept.
 Myth in the hands of Cain‟s race passed down without God in the picture.

H. #51 Sacred rituals

 Wall relief‟s of these diving beings carrying acorns, goats and even
feathers.
 Was part of a divine kingly cleansing ritual.
 They also served like gargoyles in the renaissance.

VIII. SLIDES 52-58 SHALMANESSER III

A. #52 Shalmanesser III (858-824 BC)
 Became aggressive with expansion into the Levant (Israel)
 Had Kalah (Calah) as his capitol like Ahsurnasirpal II.

B. #53 Black Obolisque of Shalmanesser III

 Dated 841 BC
 7 ½ feet high.
 Speaks about his victories in Syria and Israel.

C. #54 Image of Jehu, son of Omri, King of Israel kneeling

D. #55 Jehu, son of Omri

 Imposed tribute on wealthy men of Israel 2 kings 15:20
 Text pg. 144 with the translation.
 E. #56 Black Obolisque details from Biblical World in Pictures.
 Shalmaneser III, who raises his cup; his attendant with fly-whisk and
flower; and between them, a figure labeled Jehu (Iaua), son of Omri, who
kisses the ground at Shalmaneser‟s feet, The divine symbols of the god
Shamash (the winged disk) and the goddess Ishtar (the star) hover above
the scene, which curiously resembles those in which the king offers
libations to deities.

F. #57 Hebrews bringing tribute

 “Hat on head and cloth are from the Palestine region.

G. #58 Black Obolisk is now in the “British Museum”

IX. SLIDES 58-64 TIGLATH-PILESER III

A. #59 Tiglath Pileser III and the Bible (744-727 BC)

 Gives no ancestor line which is common among kings.

 Took the throne in a time of internal civil unrest.
 Most likely not from royal lineage.

B. #60 Pul of the Bible and Tiglath-Pileser III Same person.

 2 kings 15:19
a) Misunderstood as took kings
(1) Pul & Tiglath-Pileser III are actually one.
(2) Assyrian king lists sometime have Pul other times Tiglath
(a) They are one in the same.
C. #61 Scripture and Tiglath Pileser III
 *View map of his campaigns in handout.
 captures portions of northern Israel and imposed tribute on wealthy men (
2 ki. 15:19,29 )
 exiled Transjordan tribes (2 ki. 15:29)
 finds Uzziah (aka Azariah) stops paying tribute (forgotten the oath he
swore to me) anet.

D. #62 Scripture and Tiglath-Pileser III

 Damascus and Israel wage war later on king ahaz to join an anit-assyrian
coalition and tiglath-pileser iii comes to his aid (ii ki. 16:7-9; isa. 7)
 Ahaz does this against Isaiah‟s counsel
 pays Tiglath-Pileser with money from temple.
 placed Hoshea on throne (2 ki. 15:30)
 erected a pagan alter in the temple compound (ii ki. 16:10-14)

E. #63 Annals and Relief’s of Tiglath Pileser III:

 Text, Pg. 145.

 His initial incursion into Syria he took 30,000 captives and settled
them in the Zargot mountain range previously emptied (Ancient Iraq
pg. 307)

 Another record discusses tribute paid to him from Syria to Negev by

all the kingdoms there. It refers to an anal of records of “Calah of
Nimrud” also discussed in 2Kings 15:17-22
  Relief of him laying seize to an unknown town shows the typical
methods of impaling, beheading etc. on the relief. Tiglath-Pileser III
is shown as a giant before the city.

 Speaks of Uzziah stopping from paying tribute to him.

F. #64 STELE FROM DAMASCUS FOUND IN TIGLATH-PILESER III

TOWN.

 A trophy of his defeated advisory.

X. SLIDES 65- SHALMANESER V (726-722)

A. #65 Shalmaneser V
 Son of Tiglath-Pileser III
 Name is Shalman (a god) neser (first) Shalman is first.
 Hoshea, puppet king of Israel placed on the throne by his father, now
decides to stop paying tribute to Assyria.
 Turns to So, Pharaoh of Egypt for support (2 ki. 17:4) and pays a
devastating price.
 Shalmaneser V attacks Samaria,
 Both Shalmaneser V and the next king Sargon II take credit for conquering
Samaria.
 Best record seems to indicate Shalmaneser starts it, Sargon II steals the
throne and he finishes the campaign and takes full credit since he
overthrew Shalmaneser V family from leadership. II Ki.17:5 gives credit
to Shalmaneser V.
 B. #66 Releif of Shalmeneser V
 *View map of his campaign in packet
 Only a few inscriptions from him
 Josephus, working from older records his invasion into Syria and Philistine
Territory Ant. ix. 14.2.
 Seizes Samaria (2 Ki17:1ff; 18:9ff) cf. Josephus Ant. ix.13.1 ix.14.1
 Abbreviated version of his name “Shalman, is Shalmaneser in Hos. 10:14.
This is the instrument of judgment the book of Hosea prophesies about.

XI. Slides 67-74

A. #67 Sargon’s reign
 Took the throne by opportunity
 His name means legitimate king.
a) Like the first Sargon who came from obscure or non royal blood, he
was justifying his reign by his name as the “true ruler” despite steeling
the throne. Perhaps a “throne” name.

B. #68 from THE palace OF SARGON ii.

C. #69 UPRISINGS AGAINST SARGON II

 *View maps of Sargon II campaigns in handout.
 Two key figures and regions where revolts took place
a) When there was instability in the capitol vassals often attempted to
break free.
1. Palestine, revolts inspired by the Egyptians
2. Babylon, revolts inspired by the Elamites
 a. Neither nation nor possessed the strength to challenge Assyria
head on, so they began a campaign to weaken her with having to
send her resources to the place of revolt.
b. After crushing his opposition he sets himself to building.

D. #70 RELOCATES CAPITOL AND BUILDS MASSIVE PALACE.

 *Relocates the Assyrian capitol to Nineveh from Nimrud and builds a
massive palace
 *View ANE Map with Capitols Nimrud and Nineveh.
 Walt Kaiser notes the academic world denied Sargons existence in the
early 1800‟s until they unearthed the palace and inscriptions. Be carful
how critical you view lack of evidence when comparing it the biblical
record. It may be embarrassing for you later.
E. #71 SARGON II
a. winged deities from Sargon II Palace
b. Believed to guard the king from enemies and evil spirits.
c. MET in NYC has a whole room from this palace just like this.

F. #72 SARGON II AND THE BIBLE

a.
701 BC Sennacherib

Sennacherib (704-681)

 Was not Sargon II first born son but chose as his legitimate heir fro some reason

 Upon Death of Sargon II and ascension of Senacherib to the Throne, Palestine

attempts to break away from Assyrian control.

 Egyptian Propaganda encourages the regional rulers of Palestine to break away from
Assyrian control.
  Hezekiah was king of Judah at this time and one who broke away

 Account in the Bible. 2 ki 18:13-19:34, Isaiah 36:1-37:38, 2 Chron 32:1-22

 The envoy sent to read this letter is a common practice in Assyrian

Governing. The local governor court official would go. In extreme cases a
qurbutu i.e. an official from the very court of the King of Assyria, was sent.
Possibly what took place here reading this letter to the people.

Sennecherib marched to chasten the rebels (with the tactics reserved for those who
revolted. Seen in Nahum and ancient near eastern records, impaling, skinning, exposure,
torture etc.

The City of Jerusalem is laid seize by Sennacherib. This is the account of the Angel of the
Lord Smiting 185,000 men.

II. Extra Biblical Literature attesting to this event

III. Josephus, Ant. X.i.4-5

IV. Herodotus II, 141

V. II Kings 29:35

The Annals of Sennacherib

Says the Sidonians and Syrian inhabitants fled from the “Terror inspiring glamour of
my lordship” As he began his punishment of the Palestinian region for attempting its
uprising upon the death of Sargon II and his ascension to the throne.

His camping continues south along the “way of the sea” to the Philistine region
conquering Ashkelon Dagon, Joppa and more. Rulers are deported back to Assyria and
he replaces them with ones he favors.

Padi, king of the Philistines city Ekron was captured and handed to Hezekiah in
Jerusalem who in turn handed him over to Sennacherib.
Concerning Judah. He claims to have laid seize to 46 of his strong cities and
surrounding villages.
“Himself (Hezekiah) I made a prisoner in Jerusalem, like a bird in a cage.”

It discusses how he increased his tribute obligations to Assyria

He says, “The terror-inspiring splendor of my lordship had overwhelmed” him

(Hezekiah)

No mention of the 185,000-man loss is recorded in his annals.

Reliefs of Sennacherib:

From the invasion of 701 and the seize at Lachish, it depicts Assyrians
approaching the walls of the city shooting arrows behind their shields.

Three nude men are impaled on stakes outside the city in view of the
people of the city for terror tactics.

Woman and children are fleeing the city with whatever goods they have

A relief of Sennacheribs royal tent in a safe distance from the city seize
shows his active presence in such military campaigns.

Esarhaddon 680-699

 The chosen successor of the throne by his father Sennacherib

 Brothers were jealous and sought to kill him
 He attacks his brother’s armies in battle who desert them.
 He is embraced by the people and takes the throne

Esarhaddon and Babylon

  A decree was given that Babylon was to lie in ruins 70 years (like the
captivity of Israel in Babylon that would occur years later)
 Esarhaddon comes in to rebuild Babylon and gain the favor of the people
 It was said Marduk saw the writing decreed for 70 years but turned the
inscription upside down making it only 11 when rebuilding began with
Esarhaddon (in cuneiform 70 when turned upside down is 11).

Like his predecessors, he crushes rebellion in Syria, Tyre

Unlike his predecessors, he conquers Egypt (At least the delta)

Asherbanipal

Son of Esarhaddon
Attributed as the King who imported the Samaritans into Samaria
according to Ezra 4

Gives Babylon independence

Egypt breaks its vassal relation with Assyria but he cannot tend to them
Elam up rises and takes his focus away from Egypt and on them looses
Egypt as a vassal

VI. The Inevitable end of Assyria

Nahum 1:15 15 Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good
news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, O Judah,
and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you;
they will be completely destroyed.

Nahum 3:15 15 There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and,
like grasshoppers, consume you. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts!

Nahum 3:19 19 Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is fatal.
Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall,
for who has not felt your endless cruelty?
  During the night were overrun by a horde of field mice that gnawed quivers
and bows and the handles of shields, with the result that many were killed
fleeing unarmed the next day. And to this day a stone statue of the Egyptian
King stands in Hephaestus temple, with a mouse in his hand, and an inscription
to this effect: “Look at me, and believe.”

Note in this account Herodotus attributes the death to mice. The black plague was
attributed to mice in the Middle Ages when in fact it was the flees on mice and rats
that killed over 1/3 of the known world.