Battering ram
Summary
An ancient siege engine used to break down city walls and gates, mentioned in Scripture in connection with siege warfare.
☩Description and Use
The battering ram was a heavy beam, often tipped with metal shaped like a ram's head, suspended by chains and swung repeatedly against walls or gates to breach them. It was among the most important siege weapons of the ancient world, used by Assyrians, Babylonians, and other nations. Ezekiel's prophetic portrayal of Jerusalem's siege includes the battering ram as part of the attack.
☩Biblical References
When Joab besieged Abel of Beth-maachah, the attackers built a mound against the city and 'battered the wall, to throw it down.' Ezekiel's vision of Nebuchadnezzar at the crossroads depicts him shaking arrows, consulting teraphim, and looking at the liver to decide whether to attack Rabbah or Jerusalem, with battering rams set against the gates.