Jerusalem's MIRACULOUS Survival of the Assyrian Siege: External Evidence | w/ ‎@BehindtheVerse

The Carpenter's Desk

19 Mar 202302:22

Summary

TLDRIn 701 BC, the Assyrian Empire, led by King Sennacherib, launched a military campaign against rebellious city-states in the Levant, including Judah's King Hezekiah. Despite conquering 46 cities, they failed to take Jerusalem. The Bible recounts an angel of the Lord striking down the Assyrian army, while extra-biblical sources like Herodotus and Barasas suggest a bubonic plague played a role. This mysterious event preserved Hebrew culture and the Messianic line, as foretold by Isaiah.

Takeaways

🏰 In 701 BC, the Assyrian Empire under King Sennacherib initiated a military campaign against the Levant to quell rebellions and enforce tribute.
👑 Hezekiah, king of Judah, was part of the rebellion against the Assyrians.
🏹 Sennacherib's forces had already destroyed 46 cities before reaching Jerusalem, the capital of Judah.
📚 Historian William McNeil suggests that if Jerusalem had fallen, Hebrew culture, Jewish monotheism, and the Messianic line could have been erased, preventing the birth of Christianity.
🤔 The Assyrians unexpectedly withdrew from Jerusalem, an event that remains a mystery to historians.
📖 The Jewish account of the event, recorded in the Bible, claims that an angel of the Lord struck down the Assyrian army.
🗿 Sennacherib's prism, a cuneiform artifact, acknowledges his failure to conquer Jerusalem and only managed to contain King Hezekiah.
📜 Additional accounts from Egyptian and Babylonian sources suggest that a Bubonic plague was the cause of the Assyrian army's destruction and retreat.
🕊 The convergence of these accounts suggests that divine intervention through a plague may have saved Jerusalem, aligning with the prophecy of Isaiah.
🔍 Extra-biblical sources and archaeological findings support the biblical narrative of the event.

Q & A

In what year did the Assyrian Empire, led by King Sennacherib, launch a military campaign in the region of the Levant?
-The Assyrian Empire, led by King Sennacherib, launched a military campaign in the region of the Levant in the year 701 BC.
What was the primary goal of the Assyrian military campaign in the Levant?
-The primary goal of the Assyrian military campaign was to subdue and suppress the rebellious Kings of the city-states that had ceased to send their annual tributes to the Assyrians.
Which king's rebellion was part of the reason for the Assyrian campaign?
-Hezekiah, the king of Judah, was part of the rebellion against the Assyrians.
How many cities had the Assyrians besieged and plundered before reaching Jerusalem?
-The Assyrians had besieged and plundered 46 cities before they reached the gates of Jerusalem.
What would have happened to Hebrew culture and monotheism if Jerusalem had been attacked by the Assyrians?
-Historians like William McNeil suggest that if Jerusalem had been attacked, Hebrew culture would have entirely disappeared, Jewish monotheism would have vanished, and Christianity would never have been born.
Why did the Assyrians withdraw from Jerusalem according to the script?
-The script suggests that the Assyrians withdrew because something mysterious occurred, and Jerusalem was spared.
What is the Jewish account of what happened on the day the Assyrians withdrew?
-The Jewish account, recorded in the Bible, mentions that an angel of the Lord struck down the Assyrian army.
What does Sennacherib's prism, a cuneiform artifact, reveal about the Assyrian version of the failed conquest?
-Sennacherib's prism acknowledges that he couldn't besiege Jerusalem and only held King Hezekiah like a caged bird, which modern historians read as a reluctant admission of defeat.
What do the Egyptian and Babylonian accounts suggest as the cause of the Assyrian troops' destruction and retreat?
-The Egyptian account from Herodotus and the Babylonian version by Barasas both suggest that a Bubonic plague struck the Assyrian troops, leading to their destruction and retreat.
How does the script interpret the events leading to the sparing of Jerusalem?
-The script interprets the events as the angel of the Lord striking down the Assyrian troops through a pestilence, saving Jerusalem, which aligns with the prophecy of Isaiah.
How do extra-biblical sources and archaeology support the biblical account of the events?
-Extra-biblical sources and archaeology support the biblical account by confirming the destruction and retreat of the Assyrian troops, suggesting that a plague was indeed the instrument of their downfall.

Outlines

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🏰 The Assyrian Threat to Jerusalem

In 701 BC, King Sennacherib of the Assyrian Empire led a military campaign against rebellious city-states in the Levant, including Judah's King Hezekiah. Sennacherib had already conquered 46 cities before reaching Jerusalem. Historians suggest that if Jerusalem had fallen, Hebrew culture and monotheism might have been eradicated, preventing the birth of Christianity. However, the Assyrians inexplicably withdrew, sparing Jerusalem. The Bible records that an angel of the Lord struck down the Assyrian army, while the Assyrian prism of Sennacherib claims he held King Hezekiah captive. Additional accounts from Herodotus and Barasas suggest a bubonic plague may have caused the Assyrian retreat.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Assyrian Empire

The Assyrian Empire was a major Mesopotamian power that existed from the 25th century BC to 609 BC. It was known for its military might and the establishment of a vast empire that stretched from Egypt to Persia. In the script, the Assyrian Empire is depicted as a formidable force led by King Sennacherib, which had been conquering and subduing city-states that had rebelled against them by ceasing to pay tributes.

💡Levant

The Levant refers to a region in the Eastern Mediterranean, generally encompassing modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and parts of Jordan and Syria. In the context of the video, the Levant is the region where the Assyrian military campaign was focused, aiming to suppress the rebellious city-states.

💡Hezekiah

Hezekiah was a king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah, known for his religious reforms and his role in the narrative of Jerusalem's defense against the Assyrians. The script mentions Hezekiah as the king who rebelled against the Assyrians by not sending tributes, which was part of the cause of the Assyrian campaign.

💡Sennacherib

Sennacherib, referred to as Sena Curry in the script, was the king of the Assyrian Empire who led the military campaign against the rebellious city-states. His actions are central to the video's narrative, as his failure to conquer Jerusalem is a key event that historians speculate could have altered the course of history.

💡Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the capital city of the ancient Kingdom of Judah and is of significant religious importance to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the script, Jerusalem is the ultimate target of Sennacherib's campaign, and its sparing is a pivotal moment that historians suggest could have saved Hebrew culture and monotheism.

💡Tributes

Tributes were payments made by smaller states or city-states to a larger empire as a sign of submission and to maintain peace. In the video, the cessation of tribute payments by the city-states is what sparked the Assyrian military campaign to reassert control and punish the rebellious regions.

💡Biblical account

The Biblical account refers to the narrative of events as recorded in the Hebrew Bible. In the script, the Biblical account of the sparing of Jerusalem mentions an angel of the Lord striking down the Assyrian army, which is a supernatural explanation for the Assyrian retreat.

💡Sennacherib's Prism

Sennacherib's Prism is a cuneiform artifact that provides the Assyrian version of the events. It is mentioned in the script as an archaeological find that corroborates the Assyrian perspective on their failed siege of Jerusalem, where Sennacherib claims to have held Hezekiah like a caged bird.

💡Herodotus

Herodotus was a Greek historian known as the 'Father of History'. The script refers to an Egyptian account from Herodotus that provides an external perspective on the Assyrian retreat, suggesting that a bubonic plague might have been the cause of their defeat.

💡Barasas

Barasas was a Babylonian chronicler whose account, mentioned in the script, also alludes to the bubonic plague as the reason for the Assyrian army's destruction and retreat, providing another extra-Biblical source that supports the Biblical narrative.

💡Prophet Isaiah

Prophet Isaiah was a major prophet in the Hebrew Bible known for his prophecies and writings. The script connects the sparing of Jerusalem to a prophecy by Isaiah, suggesting that the event was foreseen and part of a divine plan.

Highlights

In 701 BC, the Assyrian Empire led by King Sennacherib launched a military campaign in the Levant.

The goal was to subdue rebellious city-states that ceased sending tributes.

Hezekiah, the king of Judah, was part of this rebellion.

Sennacherib's troops had besieged and plundered 46 cities before reaching Jerusalem.

Historians suggest that if Jerusalem had fallen, Hebrew culture and Jewish monotheism might have disappeared.

Christianity might never have been born if Jerusalem had been conquered.

The Assyrians mysteriously withdrew from Jerusalem, which is still puzzling to historians.

The Jewish account of the event is recorded in the Bible, mentioning an angel of the Lord striking down the Assyrian army.

Sennacherib's prism, a cuneiform artifact, acknowledges his failure to besiege Jerusalem.

Sennacherib's self-centered description is seen as a reluctant admission of defeat.

An Egyptian account from Herodotus and a Babylonian version by Berossus mention a Bubonic plague affecting the Assyrian troops.

The angel of the Lord is said to have used a pestilence to save Jerusalem.

This event is also foretold by the prophet Isaiah.

Extra-biblical sources and archaeology confirm the biblical account.

The use of plague as an instrument of destruction by an angel is not the first time in biblical history.

The Assyrian Empire's campaign had significant implications for the future of monotheism and the development of Christianity.

The survival of Jerusalem had a profound impact on the continuity of Hebrew culture and religious history.