Archaeology and King Hezekiah

1 - Who was Hezekiah?

King of Judah. Ruled from 716 BCE - 687 BCE.

(א) וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שָׁלֹ֔שׁ לְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בֶּן־אֵלָ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מָלַ֛ךְ חִזְקִיָּ֥ה בֶן־אָחָ֖ז מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃ (ב) בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ הָיָ֣ה בְמׇלְכ֔וֹ וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים וָתֵ֙שַׁע֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ אֲבִ֖י בַּת־זְכַרְיָֽה׃

II Kings 18:1-2

(1) In the third year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, Hezekiah son of King Ahaz of Judah became king. (2) He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years; his mother’s name was Abi daughter of Zechariah.

Hezekiah's Bulla (seal impression), found in the Ophel in 2015 by Eilat Mazar.

𐤋𐤇‬𐤆𐤒𐤉‬𐤄𐤅𐤀𐤇 ‬𐤆𐤌𐤋𐤊 𐤉‬𐤄𐤃𐤄h
לח‬זקי‬הו [בן] אחז מלך י‬הדה
Belonging to Hezekiah (son of) Ahaz, king of Judah

2 - Religious Reforms

מלכים ב י״ח:ד׳

(ד) ה֣וּא ׀ הֵסִ֣יר אֶת־הַבָּמ֗וֹת וְשִׁבַּר֙ אֶת־הַמַּצֵּבֹ֔ת וְכָרַ֖ת אֶת־הָֽאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וְכִתַּת֩ נְחַ֨שׁ הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֗ה כִּ֣י עַד־הַיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵ֙מָּה֙ הָי֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מְקַטְּרִ֣ים ל֔וֹ וַיִּקְרָא־ל֖וֹ נְחֻשְׁתָּֽן׃

II Kings 18:4

(4) He abolished the shrines and smashed the pillars and cut down the sacred post. He also broke into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until that time the Israelites had been offering sacrifices to it; it was called Nehushtan.

Part of this gate complex, the archaeological team found, was a large room that appears to have been a shrine. The room contained two four-horned altars, whose horns had been intentionally damaged, and several ceramic lamps, bowls and stands. Ganor and Kreimerman believe that the destroyed altars corroborate Biblical references to King Hezekiah’s reforms:

Most surprising of all was that in one corner of the room, the archaeologists discovered a seat carved of stone with a hole in the center—what Ganor and Kreimerman believe to be a toilet. “Laboratory tests we conducted in the spot where the stone toilet was placed suggest it was never used,” Ganor said in an IAA press release. “Hence, we can conclude that the placement of the toilet had been symbolic.
“Going to the Bathroom at Lachish” in the November/December 2017 issue of BAR.

Archaeological re-examination [Of Arad's altar and shrine] by Ze’ev Herzog, however, revealed that the shrine walls were reduced and the dismantled sacred area was filled in with earth already by the end of the eighth century. As a result, the temple area is well preserved, and nothing in the temple points to a violent destruction.
--"Hezekiah’s Religious Reform—In the Bible and Archaeology"

A large ninth-century horned altar was discovered there [in Beer Sheva], already dismantled. Three of its four horns were found intact, embedded in a wall. Their secondary use indicates that the stones were no longer considered sacred. The horned altar was dismantled during Hezekiah’s reign, which we know because some of its stones were reused in a public storehouse that was built when the Assyrians threatened Judah and was destroyed by the Assyrian army in 701.

A houshold shrine at Tel Halaf was left intact and only destroyed when Sancherib destroyed the city.

Temple of Motza - uncovered in 2020. It appears to have operated from 900 BCE – late 7th/early 6th centuries BCE, although it is unclear if in continued to function as a religious shrine after Hezekiah's reforms.

A cultic shrine in a series of rock cut rooms was found on the eastern slope of the city of David, just steps from the Temple Mount. Installations included an altar, matzebah, a winepress, and an olive press. Archaeologists believe it stopped being used in the 8th century coinciding with Hezekiah's reforms.

3 - Death of Sargon II (705 BCE), Succeeded by Sennacherib

מלכים ב י״ח:ז׳

(ז) וְהָיָ֤ה יהוה עִמּ֔וֹ בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵ֖א יַשְׂכִּ֑יל וַיִּמְרֹ֥ד בְּמֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֖וּר וְלֹ֥א עֲבָדֽוֹ׃

II Kings 18:7

(7) And GOD was always with him; he was successful wherever he turned. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.

Assyrian Archive Letter 29 (Reign of Sargon II):
(11) "[The (ruler) of Ukku has written to] the Urarṭian king [that the govern]ors of the king of Assyria are building [a fort in Kumme], and the Urarṭian king has [give]n his governors (the following) order: 'Take your troops, go and capture the governors of the king of Assyria alive from the Kummeans, and bring them to me.' I do not have the full details yet; as soon as I have heard more, I shall write by express to the crown prince that they should rush troops to me."

Azuri, king of Ashdod, had schemed not to deliver tribute anymore and sent messages to the kings living in his neighborhood full of hostilities against Assyria. On account of the acts which he committed, I abolished his rule over the people of his country and made Ahimiti, his younger brother, king over him... In a sudden rage, I did not wait to assemble the full might of my army but started out towards Ashdod with only those of my warriors who, even in friendly areas, never leave my side.... I besieged and conquered the cities of Ashdod, Gath, and Asdudimmu.
--Taylor Prism

ישעיהו כ׳:א׳

(א) בִּשְׁנַ֨ת בֹּ֤א תַרְתָּן֙ אַשְׁדּ֔וֹדָה בִּשְׁלֹ֣חַ אֹת֔וֹ סַֽרְג֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֑וּר וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם בְּאַשְׁדּ֖וֹד וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃

Isaiah 20:1

(1) It was the year that the Tartan came to Ashdod—being sent by King Sargon of Assyria—and attacked Ashdod and took it.

מלכים ב כ׳:י״ב-י״ד

(יב) בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֡יא שָׁלַ֡ח בְּרֹאדַ֣ךְ בַּ֠לְאֲדָ֠ן בֶּֽן־בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל סְפָרִ֥ים וּמִנְחָ֖ה אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ כִּ֣י שָׁמַ֔ע כִּ֥י חָלָ֖ה חִזְקִיָּֽהוּ׃ (יג) וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע עֲלֵיהֶם֮ חִזְקִיָּ֒הוּ֒ וַיַּרְאֵ֣ם אֶת־כׇּל־בֵּ֣ית נְכֹתֹ֡ה אֶת־הַכֶּ֩סֶף֩ וְאֶת־הַזָּהָ֨ב וְאֶת־הַבְּשָׂמִ֜ים וְאֵ֣ת ׀ שֶׁ֣מֶן הַטּ֗וֹב וְאֵת֙ בֵּ֣ית כֵּלָ֔יו וְאֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִמְצָ֖א בְּאוֹצְרֹתָ֑יו לֹא־הָיָ֣ה דָבָ֗ר אֲ֠שֶׁ֠ר לֹֽא־הֶרְאָ֧ם חִזְקִיָּ֛הוּ בְּבֵית֖וֹ וּבְכׇל־מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ (יד) וַיָּבֹא֙ יְשַׁעְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֶל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו מָ֥ה אָמְר֣וּ ׀ הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וּמֵאַ֙יִן֙ יָבֹ֣אוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ מֵאֶ֧רֶץ רְחוֹקָ֛ה בָּ֖אוּ מִבָּבֶֽל׃

II Kings 20:12-14

(12) At that time, King Berodach -baladan son of Baladan of Babylon sent [envoys with] a letter and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness. (13) Hezekiah heard about them and he showed them all his treasure-house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the fragrant oil—and his armory, and everything that was to be found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. (14) Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah. “What,” he demanded of him, “did those men say to you? Where have they come to you from?” “They have come,” Hezekiah replied, “from a far country, from Babylon.”

Sennacherib had considerable difficulties with Babylonia. In 703 Marduk-apal-iddina again crowned himself king with the aid of Elam, proceeding at once to ally himself with other enemies of Assyria. After nine months he was forced to withdraw when Sennacherib defeated a coalition army consisting of Babylonians, Aramaeans, and Elamites. The new puppet king of Babylonia was Bel-ibni (702–700), who had been raised in Assyria.
--Britannica, History of Mesopotamia

4 - Sennacherib Responds to Hezekiah

מלכים ב י״ח:י״ז

(יז) וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֡וּר אֶת־תַּרְתָּ֣ן וְאֶת־רַב־סָרִ֣יס ׀ וְאֶת־רַבְשָׁקֵ֨ה מִן־לָכִ֜ישׁ אֶל־הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֛הוּ בְּחֵ֥יל כָּבֵ֖ד יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ יְרוּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וַיַּעֲל֣וּ וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ֙ בִּתְעָלַת֙ הַבְּרֵכָ֣ה הָעֶלְיוֹנָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֕ר בִּמְסִלַּ֖ת שְׂדֵ֥ה כֹבֵֽס׃

II Kings 18:17

"And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish..."

-- JPS, 1917

But the king of Assyria sent the Field-Marshal and the Chief Official and the Chief Cupbearer from Lakhish..."

--Shocken, 2014

But the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh... *Tartan…Rabsaris…Rabshakeh Assyrian titles.

--JPS, 2023

5 - Lachish

מלכים ב י״ח:י״ג

(יג) וּבְאַרְבַּע֩ עֶשְׂרֵ֨ה שָׁנָ֜ה לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֗ה עָלָ֞ה סַנְחֵרִ֤יב מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֙ עַ֣ל כׇּל־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה הַבְּצֻר֖וֹת וַֽיִּתְפְּשֵֽׂם׃

II Kings 18:13

(13) In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria marched against all the fortified towns of Judah and seized them.

מלכים ב י״ט:ח׳

(ח) וַיָּ֙שׇׁב֙ רַבְשָׁקֵ֔ה וַיִּמְצָא֙ אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר נִלְחָ֖ם עַל־לִבְנָ֑ה כִּ֣י שָׁמַ֔ע כִּ֥י נָסַ֖ע מִלָּכִֽישׁ׃

II Kings 19:8

(8) The Rabshakeh, meanwhile, heard that [the king] had left Lachish; he turned back and found the king of Assyria attacking Libnah.

The caption above the king reads: "Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on the throne of judgment, before (or at the entrance of) the city of Lachish (Lakhisha). I give permission for its slaughter."

The Lachish relief depicts the Assyrian army laying siege in 701 BC to the town of Lachish, about 40 kilometres from Jerusalem. Soldiers storm the town walls while prisoners are marched out of the town into exile. The relief was created for the walls of the great palace of the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, in Nineveh. Such scenes demonstrated the consequences of rebelling against the Assyrian empire. Sennacherib is shown as an invincible king presiding over a perfect victory.
--BBC4 radio programme "A history of the world in 100 objects"

6 - Taharqa

מלכים ב י״ט:ט׳

(ט) וַיִּשְׁמַ֗ע אֶל־תִּרְהָ֤קָה מֶֽלֶךְ־כּוּשׁ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִנֵּ֥ה יָצָ֖א לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם אִתָּ֑ךְ וַיָּ֙שׇׁב֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ לֵאמֹֽר׃

II Kings 19:9

(9) But [the king of Assyria] learned that King Tirhakah of Cush had come out to fight him; so he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

Taharqa was a pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt when it was ruled by the Kingdom of Kush (present day Sudan) from 690 to 664 BC. In 701 BCE he would have been a crown prince as his brother was the Pharoah.

ישעיהו ל״ז:ח׳-ט׳

(ח) וַיָּ֙שׇׁב֙ רַבְשָׁקֵ֔ה וַיִּמְצָא֙ אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר נִלְחָ֖ם עַל־לִבְנָ֑ה כִּ֣י שָׁמַ֔ע כִּ֥י נָסַ֖ע מִלָּכִֽישׁ׃ (ט) וַיִּשְׁמַ֗ע עַל־תִּרְהָ֤קָה מֶֽלֶךְ־כּוּשׁ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יָצָ֖א לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם אִתָּ֑ךְ וַיִּשְׁמַע֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ לֵאמֹֽר׃

Isaiah 37:8-9

(8) The Rabshakeh, meanwhile, heard that [the king] had left Lachish; he turned back and found the king of Assyria attacking Libnah. (9) But [the king of Assyria] learned that King Tirhakah of Cush had come out to fight him; and when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

[Hezekiah] had become afraid and had called (for help) upon the kings of Egypt (Mus(u)rz) (and) the bowmen, the chariot(-corps) and the cavalry of the king of Ethiopia (Meluhha), an army beyond counting—and they (actually) had come to their assistance. In the plain of Eltekeh (Al-ta-qu-a), their battle lines were drawn up against me and they sharpened their weapons. Upon a trust(-inspiring) oracle (given) by Ashur, my lord, I fought with them and inflicted a defeat upon them. In the mélée of the battle, I personally captured alive the Egyptian charioteers with the(ir) princes and (also) the charioteers of the king of Ethiopia.
--Taylor Prism

7 - Siege of Jerusalem

Hezekiah prepares for the siege with what are now two well known tourist destinations in Jerusalem: The Broad wall and Hezekiah's Tunnel in the City of David.

מלכים ב י״ח:י״ג-ט״ז

(יג) וּבְאַרְבַּע֩ עֶשְׂרֵ֨ה שָׁנָ֜ה לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֗ה עָלָ֞ה סַנְחֵרִ֤יב מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֙ עַ֣ל כׇּל־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה הַבְּצֻר֖וֹת וַֽיִּתְפְּשֵֽׂם׃ (יד) וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חִזְקִיָּ֣ה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֣ה אֶל־מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֩ ׀ לָכִ֨ישָׁה ׀ לֵאמֹ֤ר ׀ חָטָ֙אתִי֙ שׁ֣וּב מֵֽעָלַ֔י אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־תִּתֵּ֥ן עָלַ֖י אֶשָּׂ֑א וַיָּ֨שֶׂם מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֜וּר עַל־חִזְקִיָּ֣ה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאוֹת֙ כִּכַּר־כֶּ֔סֶף וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים כִּכַּ֥ר זָהָֽב׃ (טו) וַיִּתֵּן֙ חִזְקִיָּ֔ה אֶת־כׇּל־הַכֶּ֖סֶף הַנִּמְצָ֣א בֵית־יהוה וּבְאֹצְר֖וֹת בֵּ֥ית הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (טז) בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא קִצַּ֨ץ חִזְקִיָּ֜ה אֶת־דַּלְת֨וֹת הֵיכַ֤ל יהוה וְאֶת־הָאֹ֣מְנ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִפָּ֔ה חִזְקִיָּ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם לְמֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃ {פ}

II Kings 18:13-16

(13) In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria marched against all the fortified towns of Judah and seized them. (14) King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong; withdraw from me; and I shall bear whatever you impose on me.” So the king of Assyria imposed upon King Hezekiah of Judah a payment of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. (15) Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was on hand in the House of GOD and in the treasuries of the palace. (16) At that time Hezekiah cut down the doors and the doorposts of the Temple of GOD, which King Hezekiah had overlaid [with gold], and gave them to the king of Assyria.

As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts and to the countless small villages in their vicinity, and conquered (them) by means of well-stamped (earth-)ramps, and battering-rams brought (thus) near (to the walls) (combined with) the attack by foot soldiers, (using) mines, breeches as well as sapper work. I drove out (of them) 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big and small cattle beyond counting, and considered (them) booty. Himself I made a prisoner in Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage. I surrounded him with earthwork in order to molest those who were leaving his city’s gate. His towns which I had plundered, I took away from his country and gave them (over) to Mitinti, king of Ashdod, Padi, king of Ekron, and Sillibel, king of Gaza. Thus I reduced his country, but I still increased the tribute and the katrd -presents (due) to me (as his) overlord which I imposed (later) upon him beyond the former tribute, to be delivered annually. Hezekiah himself, whom the terror-inspiring splendor 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, precious stones, antimony,’ large cuts of red stone, couches (inlaid) with ivory, nimedu -chairs (inlaid) with ivory, elephant-hides, ebony-wood, boxwood (and) all kinds of valuable treasures, his (own) daughters, concubines, male and female musicians. In order to deliver the tribute and to do obeisance as a slave he sent his (personal) messenger.

8 - Assyrians Flee

מלכים ב י״ט:ל״ה-ל״ו

(לה) וַיְהִי֮ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַהוּא֒ וַיֵּצֵ֣א ׀ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יהוה וַיַּךְ֙ בְּמַחֲנֵ֣ה אַשּׁ֔וּר מֵאָ֛ה שְׁמוֹנִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אָ֑לֶף וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר וְהִנֵּ֥ה כֻלָּ֖ם פְּגָרִ֥ים מֵתִֽים׃ (לו) וַיִּסַּ֣ע וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ וַיָּ֖שׇׁב סַנְחֵרִ֣יב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֑וּר וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּנִֽינְוֵֽה׃

II Kings 19:35-36

(35) That night an angel of GOD went out and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp, and the following morning they were all dead corpses. (36) So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and retreated, and stayed in Nineveh.

Their enemies too came thither, and one night a multitude of fieldmice⁠ swarmed over the Assyrian camp and devoured their quivers and their bows and the handles of their shields likewise, insomuch that they fled the next day unarmed and many fell."
-- Herodotus (5th Cent BCE Greek Historian)

Now when Sennacherib was returning from his Egyptian war to Jerusalem, he found his army under Rabshakeh his general in danger, 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.
-- Berossus (3rd cent BCE Babylonian Historian)

Chaim Herzog and Mordechai Gichon's theory: Sennacherib's army exhausted itself conquering the smaller fortresses and fighting the Egyptians. Jerusalem was well defended, and a long siege could have been disastrous for the Assyrians. Also being in the hills negated the Assyrian chariots, so Sennacherib saved face and left. They point out that future Assyrian incursions into Palestine all bypassed Jerusalem.

9 - End of the story

687 BCE - King Hezekiah dies of natural causes
681 BCE - Sancherib Assassinated
669 BCE - Esahaddon of Assyria conquers lower Egypt, driving Taharqa back
664 BCE - Taharqa dies in Thebes
612 BCE - Babylon, along with an alliance of Medes, Scythians, and Chaldeans, Conquers Nineveh.
587 BCE - Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Israel, beginning the Babylonian exile.