Esarhaddon was a
king of Assyria who reigned 681 BC-669 BC), the
youngest son
of Sennacherib and
the Aramaic queen Naqi'a (Zakitu), Sennacherib's
second wife.
Plaque of King Esarhaddon and the Queen Mother
Nakija
This relief (pictured on the left) belonged
to a monument that was probably erected in Babylon.
It depicts
King
Esarhaddon,
followed by his mother Queen Nakija, the wife
of Sennacherib. The text commemorates the return
of the statue of the god Ea to the temple of
his son Marduk, the great god of Babylon. Sennacherib
had burnt and razed Babylon. In the first year
of his rule, his son Esarhaddon rebuilt the holy
city, under the influence of the queen mother,
who was keen to have her native city restored
Esarhaddon Stone Lion's Head
This lion's head (pictured on the left) of white
limestone comes from the Temple of Shamash. Known
as the
Ebabbar
('Shining
Temple'), it was one of the most important traditional
and prestigious religious centres in Mesopotamia.
Rulers sent offerings to Shamash and there are
records of numerous kings restoring and rebuilding
the temple.
This head, which was originally inlaid, bears
a worn inscription naming the Assyrian king
Esarhaddon (680-669 BC) and his father Sennacherib.
It is not clear, therefore, whether this is
a Babylonian or an Assyrian piece. Esarhaddon
was responsible for restoring the capital city
of Babylon following its destruction by Sennacherib
in 689 BC.
Lions were regularly represented in Mesopotamian
art on wall reliefs and as elements of furniture.
The lion represented the power of nature and
is often associated with the king, as it was
his duty to defeat the forces of nature that
the lion represented.
Esarhaddon Chronicle
This chronicle is part of a group of documents
known as the Babylonian Chronicles which recorded
major events in the history of Babylon. Almost
all of the ancient tablets are in the possession
of the British Museum. The Esarhaddon Chronicle
not only contains the name of this Assyrian
king Esarhaddon, but it also includes the names
and titles for Sennacherib, Tirhakah and Necho.
These four kings are all found in the bible.
“The first year of the reign of Esarhaddon.”
“For eight years under Sennacherib, for
twelve years under Esarhaddon”
- Esarhaddon
Chronicle
Esarhaddon Prism
The ruins of Kuyundshik yielded more inscriptions
from Esarhaddon which are now stored in the
British Museum:
"I gathered together the kings of Syria
and the kings from across the sea, Baal the
King of Tyre, Mennaseh the King of Judah" – Esarhaddon
Prism
“The majesty of my sovereignty overwhelmed
Hezekiah” – Esarhaddon
Prism
Mannaseh and Hezekiah were both kings of Israel
according to the biblical record.
Scriptures
2Kings 19:37 And
it came to pass, as he was worshipping
in the
house
of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech
and Sharezer his sons smote him with the
sword: and they escaped into the land of
Armenia.
And Esarhaddon his
son reigned in his stead.
Ezra
4:2 Then they came to Zerubbabel,
and to the chief of the fathers, and said
unto
them, Let us build with you: for we seek your
God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him
since the days of Esarhaddon
king of Assur,
which brought us up hither.
Isaiah 37:38 And it
came to pass, as he was worshipping in the
house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech
and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword;
and they escaped into the land of Armenia:
and Esarhaddon his
son reigned in his stead.
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