The Murder of Sennacherib in Assyrian and Babylonian Records
Esarhaddon's account of his father's assassination by his brothers — Isaiah 37:38 from the Assyrian side
Found 1927 — Esarhaddon's Nineveh A prism was excavated at Nineveh by R. Campbell Thompson for the British Museum in 1927–28; the Babylonian Chronicle (ABC 1, BM 92502) was acquired by the British Museum and published by T. G. Pinches in 1887
Where Nineveh (Kuyunjik) and Babylonia (Iraq)
Dates from 681 BCE (event); Nineveh A prism c. 673–672 BCE · Neo-Assyrian · Aftermath of Sennacherib's invasion; reign of Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) / Menasheh (Manasseh)
Now at British Museum, London
Names a biblical person Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, Adrammelech (Adrammelech = Arda-Mulissu named only in a Babylonian letter; identification generally accepted)
How The Murder of Sennacherib in Assyrian and Babylonian Records was found
Esarhaddon opens his Nineveh A prism with a long apology explaining how his brothers rebelled, killed their father and were driven out, while the Babylonian Chronicle notes tersely: 'On the 20th of Tebet Sennacherib king of Assyria was killed by his son in a rebellion.'
What it is
Cuneiform texts in which Esarhaddon says his older brothers, jealous that he was named heir, 'slew their father' and fought each other for the throne until he marched on Nineveh and won. The Babylonian Chronicle dates the murder and names Esarhaddon's accession 18 days later. A later letter to Esarhaddon appears to name the killer as Arda-Mulissu, matching the Bible's 'Adrammelech'.
Why it matters for the Bible
2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38 say Sennacherib was killed by his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer while worshipping in his temple, and that Esarhaddon succeeded him. Assyrian and Babylonian sources confirm the murder by a son, the succession of Esarhaddon, and — through the name Arda-Mulissu — the identity of the chief assassin. The Bible presents it as the delayed fulfilment of Isaiah's word that the king would 'fall by the sword in his own land'.
The Hebrew word: CHEH-rev
חֶרֶב
חֶרֶב is pronounced CHEH-rev and means sword (Strong's H2719).
People this discovery connects to
- Sennacherib — סַנְחֵרִיב (san-cheh-REEV) — Sin has replaced the brothers
- Esarhaddon — אֵסַר־חַדֹּן (eh-sar-cha-DOHN) — Ashur has given a brother
- Adrammelech — אַדְרַמֶּלֶךְ (ad-ram-MEH-lech) — Assyrian Arda-Mulissu, 'servant of Mullissu'
Places
- Nineveh — נִינְוֵה (neen-VEH) — Assyrian Ninua
Events
Assassination of Sennacherib (681 BCE)
The Murder of Sennacherib in Assyrian and Babylonian Records in Scripture
2 Kings 18:13 First mention of Sennacherib in Scripture.
Isaiah 37:7 Isaiah's prophecy that Sennacherib would return home and fall by the sword in his own land.
Isaiah 37:38 Sennacherib is killed by his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer and Esarhaddon reigns — the sequence Assyrian records confirm.
Questions people ask
What is The Murder of Sennacherib in Assyrian and Babylonian Records?
Cuneiform texts in which Esarhaddon says his older brothers, jealous that he was named heir, 'slew their father' and fought each other for the throne until he marched on Nineveh and won. The Babylonian Chronicle dates the murder and names Esarhaddon's accession 18 days later. A later letter to Esarhaddon appears to name the killer as Arda-Mulissu, matching the Bible's 'Adrammelech'.
When was The Murder of Sennacherib in Assyrian and Babylonian Records discovered?
It was found in 1927 by Esarhaddon's Nineveh A prism was excavated at Nineveh by R. Campbell Thompson for the British Museum in 1927–28; the Babylonian Chronicle (ABC 1, BM 92502) was acquired by the British Museum and published by T. G. Pinches in 1887, at Nineveh (Kuyunjik) and Babylonia.
Where is The Murder of Sennacherib in Assyrian and Babylonian Records today?
British Museum, London.
Which Bible verses does The Murder of Sennacherib in Assyrian and Babylonian Records relate to?
2 Kings 18:13, Isaiah 37:7, Isaiah 37:38.
Related discoveries
- מָצוֹרSennacherib's Prism (Taylor, Chicago and Jerusalem Prisms)Assyrian annals: 'Hezekiah the Judean I shut up like a bird in a cage'
- לָכִישׁLachish Reliefs of SennacheribWall carvings from Nineveh showing the Assyrian siege of a Judean city
- מִנְחָהEsarhaddon and Ashurbanipal Prisms Naming ManassehAssyrian tribute lists that include 'Manasseh, king of Judah'
- רִמּוֹןTel Halif (Lahav): A Judahite Town Destroyed in 701 BCEHouses frozen in Sennacherib's campaign, at a site proposed for Rimmon, Hormah or Ziklag
- סֹלְלָהLachish Level III: Assyrian Siege Ramp and Battle DebrisThe only surviving Assyrian siege ramp, with arrowheads, sling stones and a mass grave
- אַשּׁוּרTell Jemmeh: Assyrian Vaulted BuildingA Philistine border town that became an Assyrian base, with the earliest true mudbrick vaults in the Land
Sources
- Parpola, 'The Murderer of Sennacherib', in Death in Mesopotamia (1980)
- Leichty, The Royal Inscriptions of Esarhaddon (RINAP 4, 2011), Nineveh A
- Wikipedia, 'Esarhaddon'
- Thompson, The Prisms of Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal Found at Nineveh, 1927–8 (1931)
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