Esarhaddon: Assur has given a brother, successor of Sennacherib
(2 Kings 19:37)
(Isaiah 37:38) He ascended the throne about B.C. 681 Nothing further is
recorded of him in Scripture, except that he settled certain
colonists in Samaria
(Ezra 4:2) But from the monuments it appears that
he was the most powerful of all the Assyrian monarchs. He built many
temples and palaces, the most magnificent of which was the south-west
palace at Nimrud, which is said to have been in its general design
almost the same as Solomon's palace, only much larger
(1 Kings 7:1-12) In
December B.C. 681 Sennacherib was murdered by two of his sons, who,
after holding Nineveh for forty-two days, were compelled to fly to
Erimenas of Ararat, or Armenia. Their brother Esarhaddon, who had
been engaged in a campaign against Armenia, led his army against
them. They were utterly overthrown in a battle fought April B.C.
680 near Malatiyeh, and in the following month Esarhaddon was
crowned at Nineveh. He restored Babylon, conquered Egypt, and
received tribute from Manasseh of Judah. He died in October B.C.
668 while on the march to suppress an Egyptian revolt, and was
succeeded by his son Assur-bani-pal, whose younger brother was made
viceroy of Babylonia.
