jan 1, 732 BC - Assyria Invades Judah

Description:

King Sennacherib began to attack Phoenician cities along the coast in 732 BCE and continued south. It wasn't long before he reached the Southern Kingdom of Judah; there he dominated many of the fortified towns and cities before reaching the capital city itself, the mighty Jerusalem. One night, while he and his army camped outside Jerusalem, Jehovah the true God sent an angel, who killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers.

In the book Light From the Ancient Past, Professor Jack Finegan comments: "In view of the general note of boasting which pervades the inscriptions of the Assyrian kings, . . . it is hardly to be expected that Sennacherib would record such a defeat." In the writings that describe his dealings with Hezekiah, Sennacherib exaggerates about how much the King of Judah gave him as tribute and points out that it was after the threats given, despite the fact that the Biblical writings tell us Hezekiah paid the tribute before the threats; in any case, Sennacherib painted himself as the victor but never claimed to have conquered the city of Jerusalem.