Two
Campaigns of Sennacherib to Jerusalem Revisited
Koot van Wyk, Seoul, South Korea,
2023
Key words:
one campaign theory; two campaign
theory; Kushite cause to retreat; plaque cause to retreat; Yahweh cause to
retreat; shared Judahite and Kushite Mut religion cause to unite theory; Hezekiah-Assyria
intermarriage theory of S. Dalley; coregency between Shabaka and Shabataka;
coregency between Shabataka and Taharqa; hybrid Kushite rescue theory; Hezekiah
surrender theory; Shabaka before Shabataka; Shabataka before Shabaka; Shabaka
and Shabataka together; Shabataka and Taharqa together; fashion styles similar
as argument for continuation; fashion styles disappear and reappear;
religiosity of Taharqa (Herodotus and Kawa IV and V; Ram Statues; Apis bull
born; attempts to feed the gods [see new Redford 1993 inscription]); Sennacherib
reign counting from 707 BC at Babylon as crown-prince by some texts and from
705 BC by other texts;
Rulers involved: Sargon II; Sennacherib; Shabaka; Shabataka;
Taharqa; Esarhaddon; Ashurbanipal;
Key Sources:
Inscriptions
Redford new Taharqa Text
1993 (Egyptian)
Tang-i Var inscription
(Akkadian)
Wadi Hammamat M 187
(Egyptian)
graffiti M 176 and M 189, near M 187 not too far from M 70 and M 102, have nomen cartouches of King Taharqa (Egyptian)
Nile Flood Line Text 33;
31; 30 (Egyptian)
History
of Herodotus
paragraph 141 (Greek)
Stela
Kawa iv, line 8
(Egyptian)
Kawa v, line 15
(Egyptian)
Papyri
Papyrus Louvre E 3328c
(Egyptian)
Colonnades
20+ at each temple (J. Hourdin 2017) (Egyptian)
Prisms
(Akkadian)
Taylor Prism of Sennacherib’s
III campaign (Akkadian)
Statues
or Ram and Taharqa (Egyptian)
Kings
(Hebrew)
Chronicles
(Hebrew)
Isaiah
(Hebrew)
“The Biblical records of
Sennacherib's campaign or campaigns axe found mainly in two parallel passages-2
Ki 18:13 to 19:36 and Is 36:1 to 37:37-which are almost identical, except that
2 Ki 18:14-16 has no parallel in Is. The Chronicler's story in 2 Chr 32:1-21,
on the other hand, summarizes some parts of the 2 Kips report but leaves out many
details, though it contains some additional information with regard to the
preparations made by Hezekiah to meet the expected Assyrian onslaught.” S. Horn
1966.
Key Two-Campaign authors: R. W. Rogers (1914);
S. Horn (1966); W. Shea (1980; 1985; 1993)
Key One-Campaign authors: Rest
Kushite deniers: Alan B. Lloyd (2020)
Kushite deniers for 701 but not for
690/689 BC:
S. Horn (1966); W. Shea (1980; 1985; 1993)
Kushite advocates: S. Horn (1966); W. Shea
(1980; 1985; 1993); L. Grabbe; H. Aubin; E. Knauf;
Key New Paradigm authors: 2013 Shebitko versus
Shabako by Michael Bányai; 2014 Frederic Payraudeau,
Osiris-Héqadjet chapel built during
his reign (wall and exterior of the gate). In the rest of the room it is
Amenirdis I, (Shabaka's sister), who is represented with the Adoratrix title
and provided with a coronation name; 2015 G. P. F. Broekman reconsidered some
but very limited. Sand and pebbles were over it; 2017 G. P. F. Broekman GM 251
(2017) paper; 2016/2017 Claus Jurman “evidence discovered”; Karl Jansen Winkeln
(2014 the traditional view) later (neo view).
Key deniers of co-regencies: K. Kitchen;
Co-regency advocates: D. Redford;
Hezekiah buying-off activists: S. Horn (1966) for 701
BC but not for 689 BC; W. Shea (1980; 1985; 1993) for
701
BC but not for 689 BC; Alan B. Lloyd (2020).
Two-Campaign Narrative:
William
Shea
wrote in Journal of Biblical Literature
that “For those who hold the two-campaign theory 2 Kgs 18:13-16 refers to the
first campaign whereas 2 Kings 18:17-36 refers to the second. For those who
hold that 2 Kings 18:13-19:36 refers to one campaign these two sections go over
the same ground twice.”
Two
points are important here, says Shea:
1.
The
number of Assyrian encounters with Egyptians
2.
The
number of Assyrian embassies sent to Jerusalem
Source: William H. Shea, “Sennacherib's
Second Palestinian Campaign” Journal of
Biblical Literature Vol. 104, No. 3 (Sep., 1985), pp. 401-418 (18 pages)
Conclusion of Koot van Wyk 2023: After review of all the
evidence the views of Horn and Shea stand unchallenged.