Tag: Assyria
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The First (?) Empire
I have often spoken about Assyria, usually when teaching Isaiah or an introduction to the prophets. It is an important piece of the history underlying the Old Testament. However, this makes for a narrow focus. Reading Eckart Frahm’s book, Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire (2023; paid link), has brought a…
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Sennacherib
Probably no event in the Old Testament is as well documented as Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah in 701 BC. The Bible itself gives us three accounts: 2 Kings 18:13-19:36, Isaiah 36-37, and 2 Chronicles 32:1-23. In addition, we have several versions of Sennacherib’s own report on the event, plus reliefs carved out in stone that…