1 jan 712 ano antes da era comum - Siege of Jerusalem (Failed), Sennacherib's Troops Decimated (2Kings 18-19)

Descrição:

According to Josephus, quoting Berosus: Now when Sennacherib was returning from his Egyptian war to Jerusalem, he found his army under Rabshakeh his general in danger [by a plague], for God had sent a pestilential distemper upon his army; and on the very first night of the siege, a hundred fourscore and five thousand, with their captains and generals, were destroyed. So the king was in a great dread and in a terrible agony at this calamity; and being in great fear for his whole army, he fled with the rest of his forces to his own kingdom (Jewish Antiquities X:21).

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ASSYRIAN AND BIBLICAL CHRONOLOGIES ARE THEY RELIABLE? by Gerard Gertoux

In the biblical text the military campaigns of Sennacherib and Sargon are clearly identified as parallel and dated 712 BCE (2Ki 18:13-17; 2Ch 32:9, Is 20:1). When Sennacherib comes to Jerusalem, it is stated: the KINGS of Assyria did to all the lands by devoting them to destruction (2Ki 19:10-17), implying Sennacherib and Sargon. After Hezekiah had paid a tribute of 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold, Sennacherib sent his commander-in-chief (tartanu), chief officer (rab-ša-reš) and cupbearer (rab-šaqu) to accept his surrender. During the same time Sargon sent the commander (tartanu) to Ashdod before seizing it. The annals of Sargon33 give the following details: [In the 10th year of my rule ...] Azuri, king of Ashdod, had schemed not to deliver tribute (any more) and sent messages (full) of hostilities against Assyria to the kings (living) in his neighbourhood (...) I besieged and conquered the cities Ashdod (and) Gath (...) Then to the rulers of Palestine, Judah, Edom, Moab (and) those who live (on islands) and bring tribute and gifts to my lord Ashur (...) the subduer of the country Judah which is far away. According to Sennacherib's annals: In my third campaign (...) he had called (for help) upon the kings of Egypt (and) the bowmen, the chariot(-corps) and the cavalry of the king of Ethiopia (...) As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities (...) Hezekiah himself, whom the terror- inspiring splendour of my lordship had overwhelmed and whose irregular and elite troops which he had brought into Jerusalem, his royal residence, in order to strengthen (it), had deserted him, did send me, later, to Nineveh, my lordly city, together with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver. The presence of the kings of Egypt and king of Ethiopia has to be located in 712 BCE (or before) when several pharaohs actually ruled in parallel with the Theban priests34. The tribute paid by Hezekiah during the Sennacherib's 3rd campaign is almost identical to that of the biblical text (2 Ki 18:14). However a tribute from Judah is also perceived by Sargon, because in a letter from a governor to Sargon we read: I have received 45 horses [...] The dignitaries of Egypt (Musur), Gaza (Hazatu), Judah (Ya'udu), Moab (Ma'aba), Ammon (Ban-Ammana) are arrived on the 12th in Kalhu their tributes in their hands, the one from Gaza with 24 horses in his hand.

An inscription of Sargon mentions his campaign against Hezekiah, king of Judah, along with the taking of Ekron and Azeqah35 near Lachish (Jr 34:7), which are dated in 712. But as the taking of Lachish and Jerusalem are currently dated in 701 that would imply a hypothetical second campaign (around 688 BCE)36 which leads to a new chronological impossibility37. Similarly, the attempted alliance between Merodach-baladan and Hezekiah is plausible only in 712 because in 700 or in 703 the Babylonian king (if he reigned) was in a position of weakness (the only support mentioned in neo-Babylonian chronicles is that of the king of Elam) and Hezekiah had no interest to ally with him, whereas in 712 Merodachbaladan was in a position of strength and the purpose of his alliance with Hezekiah, which miraculously pushed Sennacherib, was to counterbalance Assyrian influence. Sargon's Chronicle supports this reconstruction because the king was perpetually at war against Merodach-Baladan except in 712 (because of his campaign to Judea) and also in 711, but for no apparent reason38: From the accession ye[ar of] Merodach-baladan until the 10th year [Assyria] was belligerent towards Merodach-baladan. The 10th year: Merodach-baladan ravaged Bit- [..]ri (and) plundered it. The 12th year of Merodach-baladan: Sargon went down [to Akkad] and did battle against [Merodach-bala]dan. Merodach-baladan [retreated] before [him] (and) fled to Elam. For 12 years [Merodach-balad]an ruled Babylon. Sargon ascended the throne in Babylon (...) The 2nd year [Sennacherib went down to Akkad and did battle against Merodach-baladan before him] Merodach- baladan retreated (and) fled to Guzummânu [...] he (Sennacherib) plundered his land [... and took] Larak and Sarrabanu. When he withdrew he (Sennacherib) put Bel-ibni on the throne in Babylon. The 1st year of Bel-ibni [702 BCE]: Sennacherib ravaged Hirimma and Hararatum. The 3rd year of Bel-ibni: Sennacherib went down to Akkad and plundered Akkad. He led away to Assyria Bel-ibni and his officers. For 3 years Bel-ibni ruled Babylon. Sennacherib put Aššur-nâdin-šumi, his son, on the throne in Babylon. If Sennacherib's troops were decimated in 712 BCE, as confirmed by Herodotus (The Histories II:137,141) and Josephus (Jewish Antiquities X:21), one can probably assume that the following year Sargon was busy reorganizing his army.

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