The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and BabyloniaPinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Religion
The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia
Pinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Judging from his records, Esarhaddon was fully as active as the other
kings of Assyria in making conquests. He attacked the people of Armenia
(the Mannâa), the rebellious land of Barnaku—“those who dwell in the land
of Til-Ašurri,”(116)—the Medes, the Chaldeans, the Arabians (see p. 382),
and Egypt, in the direction of which he had already made a little
expedition (to the cities of Arzâ and Aaki (?) of the brook of
Egypt—probably the river of Egypt of Gen. xv. 18, and other passages). His
first real expedition to Egypt, however, was in the tenth year of his
reign (670 B.C.). Three battles were fought there, and Memphis was
captured by the Assyrians on the 22nd of Tammuz. Whether he really and
effectually subjugated the country or not, is not known, but he again
marched to the same place in the last year of his reign, and falling ill
on the road, died on the 10th day of Marcheswan. He was succeeded by
Aššur-banî-âpli (Asshur-bani-pal) in Assyria, and Šamaš-šum-ukîn
(Saosduchinos) in Babylonia, and the two kingdoms, united by so much
bloodshed, became once more separated (668 B.C.).
Aššur-Banî-Âpli.
Thus it happened, that Aššur-banî-âpli, on coming to the throne, found
himself involved in a war with Egypt. To such a ruler, it must have seemed
a hard thing to relinquish what his father had fought, and perhaps died,
to acquire and retain. This being the case, he sent forth his army to
reduce the country again to subjection, Tirhakah having taken advantage of
the death of Esarhaddon to revolt. In the course of this campaign his
representative (there is every probability that Aššur-banî-âpli never went
westwards, or, indeed, made any warlike expedition in person whatever)
received the tribute of the kings of the sea-coast and “the middle of the
sea,” _i.e._ Phœnicia and Cyprus. This list is, with few exceptions, the
same as that given by Esarhaddon, and includes Minsê (= Minasê, _i.e._
Menasseh) of the land of Yaudi or Judah. In some cases, however, changes
had taken place and these are duly registered—Yakinlû instead of
Matan-ba’al, king of the land of Aruada (Arvad); Ammi-nadbi (Amminadab),
king of the land of Bît-Ammana (Beth-Ammon), instead of Budu-ilu. For the
kings of Cyprus, however, no change is indicated, a circumstance which
leads one to look upon the list with some suspicion, it being not
impossible that the names of certain rulers are inserted to make a seeming
addition to the Assyrian king’s glory. They are all represented, however,
as supporting, with their troops and their ships, on land and on sea, the
army of Aššur-banî-âpli. The result was the defeat of Tirhakah, and the
restoration of the kings, prefects, and governors whom Esarhaddon had
appointed as rulers of the country.(117)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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