ASSYRIA
14
ASSYRIA
Sargon, a man of commanding ability, was, not-
witlistanding his claim to royal ancestrj-, in all
probability a usurper. He is one of the greatest
figures in Assyrian history, and the founder of the
famous Sargonid dj-nasty. which held sway in AssjTia
for more than a centurj-, i. e. until the fall of Nineveh
and the overthrow of the Assyrian Empire. He
liiniself reigned for seventeen years (722-705 B. c.)
and proved a most successful warrior and organizer.
In everj- battle he was victor, and in everj- difficulty
a man of resource. He was also a great builder and
patron of the arts. His greatest work was the
building of Dur-Sharrukin, or the Castle of Sargon,
the modern Ivliorsabad, which was thoroughly
explored in 1S44-55 by Botta, Flandin, and Place.
It was a large city, situated about ten miles from
Nineveh, and capable of accommodating 80,000 in-
liabitants. His palace there was a wonder of archi-
tecture, panelled in alabaster, adorned with sculp-
ture, and inscribed with the records of his exploits.
In the same year in which he ascended the throne,
Samaria feU (722 B. c), and the Kingdom of Israel
was brought to an end. "In the beginning ot my
reign, he tells us in his annals, "and in the first
year of my reign . , . Samaria I besieged and
conquered . , , 27,290 inliabitants I carried off
... I restored it again and made it as before.
People from all lands, my prisoners, I settled there.
My officials I set over them as governors. Tribute
aiid tax I laid on them, as on the .\ssjTians." Sar-
gon's second campaign was against the Elamites,
whom he subdued. From Elam he marched west-
ward, laid Hamath in ruins, and afterwards utterly
defeated the combined forces of the Philistines and
the Egj-ptians, at Raphia. He made Hanuni,
King of Gaza, prisoner, and carried several thousand
captives, with verj' rich booty, into AssjTia. Two
years later, he attacked Karkemish, the capital of
the Hittites, and conquered it, capturing its king,
officers, and treasures, and deporting them into
AssjTia. He then for fully six years harassed, and
finally subdued, all the northern and north-western
tribes of Kurdistan, of Armenia (Urartu, or .\rarat),
and of Cilicia: the Mannai, the Mushki, the Kum-
muklii, the ililidi, the Kammani, the Gamgumi,
the SamaU, and many others who li\ed in those
wild and inaccessible regions. Soon after this he
subdued several Arabian tribes and, afterwards,
the Medians, with their forty-two chiefs, or princes.
During the first eleven years of Sargon's reign, the Kingdom of Juda remained peacefully subject to AssjTia, pajdng the stipulated annual tribute. In 711 B. c, however, Ezechias (Hezekiah), King of Juda, partly influenced by Merodach-baladan, of Babylonia, and partly by promises of help from Egj-pt, rebelled against the AssjTian monarch, and in this revolt he was heartily joined by the Pha?ni- cians, the Pliilistines, the Moabites, and the Ammon- ites. Sargon was ever quick to act; he collected a powerful army, marched against the rebels, and dealt them a crushing blow. The fact is recorded in Isaias, xx, 1, where the name of Sargon is expressly mentioned as that of the invader and conqueror. With Palestine and the West pacified and subdued, Sargon, ever energetic and prompt, turned his atten- tion to Babylonia, where Merodach-baladan was ruhng. The Babylonian army was easily routed, and Slerodach-baladan himself abandoned Babylon and fled in terror to Beth-Yakin. his ancestral strong- hold. Sargon entered Babylonia in triumph, and in the follo\\-ing year he pursued the fleeing king, stormed the city of Beth-Vakin, deported its peojile, and compelled all the Babylonians and Elamites to pay him tribute, homage, and obedience. In 705, in the flower of his age and at the zenith of his glon,\ Sargon was assassinated. He was succeeded by his son, Sennacherib (705 to 6S1 b. c), whose
name is so well known to Bible students. He was an
exceptionaOy cruel, arrogant, revengeful, and des-
potic ruler, but, at the same time, a monarch of
wonderful power and abihty. His first militarj-
expedition was directed against ilerodach-baladan,
of Babylonia, who, at the news of Sargon's death,
had returned to Babylonia, a.ssuming the title of
king, and murdering Merodach-zakir-shumi, the
viceroy appointed by Sargon. Merodach-baladan
was, however, easily routed by Sennacherib; fleeing
again to Elam and hiding himself in the marshes,
but always ready to take advantage of Sennacherib's
absence to return to Babylon. In 701, Sennacherib
marched eastward over the Zagros mountains and
towards the Caspian Sea. There he attacked,
defeated, and subdued the Medians and all the
neighbouring tribes. In the same year he marched
on the Mediterranean coast and received the sub-
mission of the Pha?nicians, the Ammonites, the
Moabites, and the Edoraites. He conquered Sidon,
but was unable to lay hands on TjTe, on account of
its impregnable position. Thence he hurried down
the coast road, captured Askalon and its king,
Sidqa; turning to the north, he struck Ekron and
Lachish, and dispersed the Ethiopian-Egj^ptian
forces, which had assembled to oppose his march.
Ezechias (Hezekiah), King of Juda, who together
with the above-mentioned kings had rebelled against
Sennacherib, was thus completely isolated, and
Sennacherib, finding his way clear, marched against
Juda, dealing a terrific blow at the little kingdom.
Here is Sennacherib's own account of the event:
"But as for Hezekiah of Judah, who had not sulj-
mitted to my yoke, forty-six of his strong walled
cities and the smaller cities round about them
without number, by the battering of rams, and the
attack of war-engines [?], by making breaches, by
cutting through, and the use of axes, I besieged and
captured. Two hundred thousand one hundred
and fifty people, small and great, male and female,
horses, mules, asses, camels, and sheep ■nithout num-
ber I brought forth from their midst and reckoned
as spoil. Himself [Hezekiah] I shut up like a caged
bird in Jerusalem, his royal city. I threw up forti-
fications against him, and whosoever came out of
the gates of his city I punished. His cities, which
I had plundered, I cut off from his land and gave to
Mitinti. King of Ashdod, to Padi, King of Ekron,
and to CU-Bel, Iving of Gaza, and [thus] made his
territorj- smaller. To the former taxes, paid j'early.
tribute, a present for my lordship, I added and im-
posed on him. Hezekiah himself was overwhelmed
by the fear of the brilliancy of my lordship, and the
Arabians and faithful soldiers whom he had brouglit
in to strengthen Jerusalem, his royal city, deserted
him. Tliirty talents of gold, eight hundred talents
of silver, precious stones, guhli daggassi, large lapis
lazuli, couches of ivorj-, thrones of elephant skin
and ivorj-, ivorj', ushu and iirlarinu woods of every
kind, a llea^-J' treasure, and his daughters, his palace
women, male and female singers, to Nineveh, my
lordship's city, I caused to be brought after me,
and he sent his ambassador to give tribute and to
pay homage."
The same event is also recorded in IV Kings, xviii and xix, and in Isaias, xxxvi and xxxvii, but in somewhat different manner. According to the Biblical account, Sennacherib, not satisfied with the paj-ment of tribute, demanded from Ezechias the unconditional surrender of Jerusalem, which the Judean king refused. Terrified and bewildered, Ezechias called the prophet Isaias and laid the matter before him, asking him for advice and counsel. The prophet strongly advised the vacillating king to oppose the outrageous demands of the AssjTian. promising him Yahweh's help and protection. Accordingly, Ezechias refused to surrender, and
