Esar Haddon(esarhaddon)
“Ashur has given a brother (Akkadian)”
Summary
One of the greatest Assyrian kings, son of Sennacherib and father of Ashurbanipal, who conquered Egypt and carried Manasseh captive to Babylon.
☩Succession and Reign
Esar-haddon succeeded his father Sennacherib after the latter was murdered by two of his sons in the temple of his god. The assassins fled to Armenia while Esar-haddon, possibly away on a military campaign, returned to claim the throne. He reigned from approximately 681-669 BC and proved to be one of the most powerful Assyrian monarchs, calling himself 'the great king, the powerful king, the king of legions.'
☩Relations with Judah
Esar-haddon uniquely ruled both Assyria and Babylon, which explains why Manasseh king of Judah was taken captive to Babylon rather than Nineveh. Among the vassals he lists on his monuments is 'Manasseh, king of Judah.' He also sent foreign colonists to settle in Samaria after the northern kingdom's deportation. About 671 BC he conquered Egypt, captured Memphis, and divided Egypt into twenty provinces.
References
- 1.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Esarhaddon," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 2.George Morrish, "Esarhaddon," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).