The historical account of King Sennacherib’s assassination by his sons is a compelling narrative that intertwines biblical history with archaeological discoveries. This event, detailed in the Scriptures and corroborated by ancient Near Eastern records, provides a vivid example of the accuracy and historical reliability of the biblical text.

Scriptural Account of Sennacherib’s Demise

The biblical narrative presents Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, as a formidable adversary against Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah. The Scriptures recount Sennacherib’s siege of Jerusalem, his blasphemous taunts against God, and the divine intervention that led to the Assyrian army’s catastrophic defeat. The biblical account concludes with Sennacherib’s murder by his sons upon his return to Assyria, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 32:21, “And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.”

This narrative is consistent across three separate books of the Bible: 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah, underscoring the event’s significance and the divine judgment against Sennacherib for his arrogance and blasphemy.

Archaeological Corroboration

The assassination of Sennacherib is not only a matter of biblical record but also finds confirmation in Assyrian and Babylonian historical texts. The letter ABL 1091, found among the Assyrian letters in the palace of Nineveh, provides a detailed account of Sennacherib’s assassination by his son Arad-Mullissu [See below], offering a parallel narrative to the biblical story. This document reveals the internal conspiracy and familial betrayal that led to Sennacherib’s death, aligning with the biblical description of the event. The text ends with:

Read the tablet (and) recite what is in your mouth! He then said as follows, “Arad-Mullissu your son will kill you!” After they had uncovered his face (and) Arad-Mullissu had interrogated him, they killed him (Sennacherib) and his brothers. (COS 3:244)

Additionally, the Neo-Babylonian Chronicles further mention Sennacherib’s assassination by his son, specifying the date of this regicide. These external sources not only validate the biblical account but also enrich our understanding of the political and familial tensions within the Assyrian royal court. It reads:

The month Tebeth, day 20, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, his son killed him in a rebellion. (Cogan, Raging Torrent, 184)

Sennacherib’s death came about two decades after his ill-fated Jerusalem campaign. While Assyrian and Babylonian records provide a timeline, the exactitude of these records is debated among historians. The biblical account does not suggest that Sennacherib’s death was immediate upon his return; rather, it occurred later when he was assassinated by his sons while worshiping in the temple of his god. This event is corroborated by an inscription from his successor, Esar-haddon.

Theological Implications

The assassination of Sennacherib serves as a potent reminder of the sovereignty of God over the affairs of nations and individuals. The biblical narrative emphasizes that Sennacherib’s defeat and subsequent assassination were direct results of his blasphemy and arrogance towards God. This event illustrates the principle articulated in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will,” demonstrating God’s ability to bring about His justice and vindicate His name.

Furthermore, the fulfillment of prophecy concerning Sennacherib’s demise, as predicted in the Scriptures, reinforces the reliability of divine revelation and the prophetic word. Isaiah’s prophecies regarding Assyria’s failure to capture Jerusalem and the divine judgment against Sennacherib underscore the accuracy of biblical prophecy and God’s control over historical events.

Historical Reliability of the Bible

The convergence of the biblical account with Assyrian and Babylonian records regarding Sennacherib’s assassination underscores the Bible’s historical reliability. These ancient texts provide independent verification of the events described in the Scriptures, affirming the Bible’s authenticity as a historical document. This alignment between biblical and extrabiblical sources illustrates the meticulous care with which the biblical authors recorded history, guided by divine inspiration.

The case of Sennacherib’s assassination is a compelling example of how archaeological discoveries can illuminate biblical events, offering tangible evidence that supports the scriptural narrative. Such findings not only validate the historical accuracy of the Bible but also reinforce the faith of believers in the trustworthiness of God’s Word.

King Sennacherib’s Invasion of Judah—A Convergence of Biblical Record and Archaeological Evidence

Sennacherib’s Son Arad-Mullissu Excursion [Secular]

Arda-Mulissu, also known by several other names including Urdu-Mullissi, Urad-Mullissu, Arad-Ninlil, and in Hebrew texts as Adrammelech, was a significant figure in the ancient Assyrian Sargonid dynasty. He was the son of Sennacherib, the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and the older brother of Esarhaddon, who would later succeed their father as king.

For a decade, starting from the death of Sennacherib’s first crown prince, Ashur-nadin-shumi, in 694 B.C.E., Arda-Mulissu held the position of crown prince and heir to the throne. However, in 684 B.C.E., for reasons that remain unclear, he was replaced as heir by his younger brother, Esarhaddon.

This demotion did not sit well with Arda-Mulissu. In 681 B.C.E., he and one of his younger brothers, Nabu-shar-usur, conspired and assassinated their father, Sennacherib, in a bid to seize the throne. However, the murder of Sennacherib led to a shift in support among Arda-Mulissu’s followers, delaying his coronation. In the ensuing chaos, Esarhaddon marched on Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, and successfully claimed the throne. Following their failed coup, Arda-Mulissu and Nabu-shar-usur fled to the Kingdom of Urartu in the north.

The name Arda-Mulissu, which translates to ‘servant of Mullissu,’ reflects the religious beliefs of the time. Mullissu was an Assyrian goddess, the consort of the Assyrian god Asshur, and possibly identical with the Sumerian goddess Ninlil. This connection to divine figures underscores the intertwining of political and religious authority in ancient Assyrian society.

Son of Sennacherib

Arda-Mulissu, an ancient Assyrian prince, was the son of Sennacherib, the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 705-681 B.C.E. While Sennacherib had several wives, the identity of Arda-Mulissu’s mother remains uncertain, though we know she wasn’t Naqi’a, the mother of Arda-Mulissu’s younger half-brother, Esarhaddon.

Esar-haddon—The Assyrian King’s Reign and Legacy

In 700 B.C.E., Sennacherib appointed his eldest son, Ashur-nadin-shumi, as crown prince and ruler of Babylonia, a significant southern region of his empire. However, during a campaign against Elam (modern southern Iran), the Elamites retaliated by invading the southern parts of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and captured Ashur-nadin-shumi in 694 B.C.E. The prince was taken to Elam, where he was likely executed.

Following this loss, Sennacherib designated his second eldest surviving son, Arda-Mulissu, as crown prince. Assyriologists Simo Parpola and Theodore Kwasman have proposed an alternative theory, suggesting that Ashur-nadin-shumi was intended to succeed Sennacherib only in Babylonia, while Arda-Mulissu may have been appointed as early as 698 B.C.E. However, there are no documents that describe Arda-Mulissu as crown prince before 694 B.C.E., the year Ashur-nadin-shumi was captured and presumably executed.

Sennacherib—Assyria’s King and His Campaigns

Kwasman and Parpola also proposed the possibility that another of Sennacherib’s sons, Nergal-shumu-ibni, was appointed as the crown prince of Babylonia following Ashur-nadin-shumi’s demise. This would mean that while Arda-Mulissu was the crown prince of Assyria, Nergal-shumu-ibni held a similar position in Babylonia. While there are no existing documents to verify this appointment, it’s based on a series of contracts from 694 and 693 B.C.E. that referred to Nergal-shumu-ibni as “mār šarri”, a title usually reserved for the crown prince, despite its literal translation as “son of the king.”

Arda-Mulissu served as the designated heir for a decade but was replaced by Esarhaddon in 684 B.C.E. The reasons behind this sudden dismissal remain unknown, but texts from that period suggest that Arda-Mulissu was deeply disappointed. Despite his dismissal, Arda-Mulissu maintained his popularity, with some vassals secretly supporting him as the rightful heir. Esarhaddon’s own texts acknowledged the unusual nature of this decision, writing, “Although I was younger than my big brothers, my father and begetter, by command of the gods, justly preferred me to my other brothers, saying: ‘This is my heir.’”

Attempted Coup

Arda-Mulissu, once a favored son and heir to the Assyrian throne, found himself in a precarious position after his father, King Sennacherib, replaced him with his younger half-brother Esarhaddon. Despite being compelled to pledge allegiance to Esarhaddon, Arda-Mulissu’s ambition and popularity did not wane. He made several attempts to persuade his father to reinstate him as the successor, but to no avail.

Sennacherib, sensing the growing tension and fearing for Esarhaddon’s safety, sent him to the western provinces, effectively removing him from the immediate line of fire. This strategic move left Arda-Mulissu at the peak of his influence yet unable to leverage it with Esarhaddon out of the picture. Seizing what he saw as a fleeting opportunity, Arda-Mulissu decided to take drastic action to claim the throne that he believed was rightfully his.

In a bold move, Arda-Mulissu forged an alliance with his brother Nabu-shar-usur, and together they orchestrated a violent coup. On October 20, 681 B.C.E., they assassinated their father in a temple in Nineveh, the heart of the Assyrian empire. However, the regicide did not immediately translate into power for Arda-Mulissu. The killing of the king led to a backlash among his own supporters, causing a delay in his ascension and allowing Esarhaddon to gather forces.

When Arda-Mulissu and Nabu-shar-usur’s troops faced Esarhaddon’s army in Hanigalbat, a region in the western empire, their soldiers defected en masse to Esarhaddon. With his forces bolstered and facing little resistance, Esarhaddon advanced on Nineveh and claimed the throne.

The failed conspirators, Arda-Mulissu and Nabu-shar-usur, fled northward, likely first seeking refuge in the mountainous kingdom of Shupria before moving on to Urartu, a kingdom historically antagonistic to Assyria. Esarhaddon’s retribution was swift and merciless; he executed all involved in the conspiracy, including the families of the two brothers. The brothers themselves managed to evade capture and lived in exile for several years, with some accounts suggesting they were still free in Urartu as late as 673 B.C.E.

Legacy

The assassination of Sennacherib was a pivotal event that sent shockwaves through the ancient world. In regions like the Levant and Babylonia, where Sennacherib’s military campaigns had left deep scars, his death was celebrated as divine retribution. In Assyria, however, the reaction was likely one of horror and outrage.

This dramatic episode was recorded in various historical sources and even found its way into the Bible, where Arda-Mulissu is referred to as Adrammelech. The event’s notoriety persisted through the centuries, and a medieval Armenian historian even claimed that Arda-Mulissu’s descendants became the noble houses of Artsruni and Gnuni, with Nabu-shar-usur being transformed into the figure Bidaxsh.

The assassination of Sennacherib and the subsequent events remain a testament to the complex dynamics of power, loyalty, and ambition that shaped the history of the Neo-Assyrian Empire

Conclusion

The assassination of Assyrian King Sennacherib by his sons, as recorded in the Bible and corroborated by archaeological evidence, stands as a testament to the historical accuracy and divine inspiration of Scripture. This event highlights the sovereignty of God in human history, the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, and the intricate relationship between biblical narratives and archaeological discoveries. Through the lens of this historical episode, believers and scholars alike can appreciate the depth of truth contained in the Bible and its enduring relevance and reliability as a record of God’s interaction with humanity.

About the Author

SCROLL THROUGH THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES BELOW

BIBLE TRANSLATION AND TEXTUAL CRITICISM

BIBLE TRANSLATION AND TEXTUAL CRITICISM

BIBLICAL STUDIES / BIBLE BACKGROUND / HISTORY OF THE BIBLE/ INTERPRETATION

EARLY CHRISTIANITY

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETIC EVANGELISM

TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHRISTIAN

CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONALS

CHRISTIAN FICTION