Assignment 1:  Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem Introduction In the ninth century B

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Assignment 1:  Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem

Introduction

In the ninth century B.C.E. one major power arose in the form of the Assyrians, who starting in northern Mesopotamia created an empire through often brutal military conquests.  By means of almost constant warfare, the Assyrians created an empire that stretched from their capital of Nineveh on the Tigris River to central Egypt.  For those who opposed them, the Assyrians engaged them in bloody battles and laid siege to their towns and cities. In most cases, the people surrendered but were then faced with systematic torture and slaughter and sometimes deportations.  As the Assyrian empire spread it confronted large and small kingdoms.  One such small kingdom was the kingdom of Judah and its capital city of Jerusalem.  A couple of hundred years before this confrontation, the Jewish kingdom divided, with Israel in the north and Judah in the south. By the year 722 B.C.E. Israel had been conquered. There is a wall sculpture in your Power Point presentation that shows the Assyrian army laying siege and attacking the walls of the Israelite city of Lachish.  However, the southern kingdom of Judah was more organized and presented a much greater challenge.  Judah's capital city, Jerusalem, was particularly difficult to conquer.  

Central Historical Question

What happened during Assyrian king Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem?