Is There Proof of 2 Kings 19:32-34?

Is There Proof For 2 Kings 19:32-34?

Robert Stewart | January 2024 |

“Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

Biblical NARRATIVE

Hezekiah began to reign in Judah when he was 25 years old (2 Kings 18:1-2). He was the son of King Ahaz, who did not walk in the ways of the Lord. Rather, Ahaz followed after the kings of Israel. Ahaz practiced many forms of idolatry even going so far as to sacrifice one of his sons (2 Kings 16:3) and replicate Damascian idol worship by building their altar in Judah (2 Kings 16:10-16). To satisfy the king of Assyria, Ahaz severely compromised his relationship with the Lord. Perhaps Hezekiah took note of his father's departure from serving the Lord since he did that which was right (2 Kings 18:3-4) in the Lord's sight. This seems plausible because Ahaz's incorporation of idol worship did not help him at all and brought upon Judah much Assyrian control. Hezekiah relied on the Lord more than all other kings in Judah and remained faithful to the Lord (2 Kings 18:5-7).

It was also during Hezekiah's reign that Samaria fell to the Assyrians because of their rebellion against the Lord (2 Kings 18:9-12). Israel was captured by the Assyrians during Hezekiah's sixth year in office (2 Kings 18:10). Eight years later, Hezekiah was around 39 years old when King Sennacherib attacked Judah (2 Kings 18:13). Hezekiah responded by paying tribute to the Assyrian king to avoid further problems (2 Kings 18:14).

However, Hezekiah paid the king's demands by giving him all the remaining silver and gold from the Lord's temple and even whatever he could muster from the treasuries in his palace (2 Kings 18:15-16). It's easy to overlook the seriousness of this event. King Sennacherib demanded a heavy tribute in the form of silver and gold (2 Kings 18:14). This demand bankrupted Hezekiah personally and the kingdom of Judah, spiritually, where he stripped the gold from the doors of the Lord's sanctuary (2 Kings 18:16). Yet, this was not enough.

The Threat

So Sennacherib sent an envoy along with a massive army to camp next to an aqueduct that was practically in the city walls of Jerusalem requesting Hezekiah's presence (2 Kings 18:17). This behavior was equivalent to holding a knife to Judah's throat while holding them hostage. They had complete control of the water systems that Judah desperately needed to survive the siege. Hezekiah did not respond, rather sending out three men, Eliakim, who was the chief administrator of the palace, and Shebnah, court secretary, and Joah, court historian (2 Kings 18:18). The situation was intense. Then the envoy sent by Sennacherib spoke to the three men about the coming destruction of their city if they did not surrender along with the promise of blessings if they did surrender (2 Kings 18:19-37). The three men relay this information back to Hezekiah.

The Promise

Devasted, Hezekiah petitions his servants to reach out to Isaiah about this dire situation in the hope that the Lord will protect the surviving remnant (2 Kings 19:4). Isaiah tells Hezekiah not to be afraid of what he had heard from the envoy because of their blasphemies (2 Kings 19:5-6). Isaiah adds that Sennacherib will hear a rumor and return to his country only to die there (2 Kings 19:7). This is partially fulfilled when the envoy hears that Sennacherib pulls out of Lachish based on a rumor that a King from Cush is going to war against him (2 Kings 19:8-9). It is not clear how much time has passed between what Isaiah prophesies and the king's departure to Assyria. However, Sennacherib sends additional messengers coercing Hezekiah to heed his warning that he will destroy Jerusalem just like he did other nations (2 Kings 19:10-13).

Hezekiah, upon reading the message, retreats to the Lord's temple and lays out the letter before the Lord and prays to Him for deliverance (2 Kings 19:14-19). God answers his prayer through Isaiah promising that the king of Assyria will not enter Jerusalem or even begin a siege:

Evidence In Support of 2 Kings 19:32-34

Sennacherib's Annals, or journals, is an ancient artifact that is shaped like a prism and is composed of clay with six sides. It documents some of Sennacherib's conquests and personal thoughts regarding his conquests. The prism, famously called the Taylor Prism¹ (also found in the Oriental Institute Prism and the Jersusalem Prism) has a small record of his dealings with King Hezekiah²:

"The prism is a foundation record, intended to preserve King Sennacherib's achievements for posterity and the gods. The record of his account of his third campaign (701 BC) is particularly interesting to scholars. It involved the destruction of forty-six cities of the state of Judah and the deportation of 200,150 people. Hezekiah, king of Judah, is said to have sent tribute to Sennacherib. This event is described from another point of view in the Old Testament books of 2 Kings and Isaiah."

Diving deeper into what these prisms said about King Sennacherib's conquests concerning King Hezekiah, we get an enhanced understanding of how serious 2 King 19:13-15 was⁵:

"As for Hezekiah, the Jew, who did not submit to my yoke, 46 of his strong, walled cities, as well as the small cities in their neighborhood, which were without number,-by levelling with battering-rams and by bringing up siege-engines, by attacking and storming on foot, by mines, tunnels and breaches, I besieged and took (those cities). 200,150 people, great and small, male and female, horses, mules, asses, camels, cattle and sheep, without number, I brought away from them and counted as spoil. Himself, like a caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem his royal city."

"As for Hezekiah, the terrifying splendor of my majesty overcame him, and the Urbi (Arabs) and his mercenary troops which he had brought in to strengthen Jerusalem, his royal city, deserted him (lit. took leave). In addition to the 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver, (there were) gems, antimony, jewels, large sandu-stones, couches of ivory, house-chairs of ivory, elephant hide, ivory (lit. elephant's "teeth") ebony, boxwood, all kinds of valuable (heavy) treasures, as well as his daughters, his harem, his male and female musicians, (which) he had (them) bring after me to Nineveh, my royal city. To pay tribute and to accept (lit. do) servitude, he dispatched his messengers."

References

1. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1855-1003-1

2. https://historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=2416

3. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1855-1003-1

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sennacherib%27s_Annals

5. https://www.u.arizona.edu/~afutrell/w%20civ%2008/prism.html

6. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2019&version=ESV

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