Mia Backgrounds To The Bible Condensed

ANCIENT EMPIRES
Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Agade (Akkad) Empire 2400 - 2200 BCE
Babylonian Empire 1950 - 1600 BCE
Kassite Empire 1550 - 1100 BCE
Assyrian Empire 1400 - 1200 BCE
Neo - Assyrian Until 612 BCE
Neo – Babylonian 626 - 539 BCE
Persian (Medes) 539 - 330 BCE
Greece 332 - 30 BCE
Rome 30 - ff. AD
ANCIENT EMPIRES

During Sumerian Rule
Temple was center
King was high priest
City State allegiances with city Gods but a

national God for the union of States
Language, culture, and religion were Sumerian

Sumerian Culture
The king as divine steward

Sumerian Culture

Steward to build temples
Sumerian Culture

Steward to Restore Temples
Sumerian Culture

The king as steward of Justice
Sumerian Culture

The king as steward of Justice
The king as shepherd of the people
Genesis 11:1-9
Readings from the Ancient Near East
ANCIENT EMPIRES

Readings from the
Ancient Near East
ANCIENT EMPIRES

Creation Epic
Flood tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic
READINGS FROM THE
ANCIENT NEAR EAST
Flood tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic

I rooted out the enemy above and below;
I made an end of war
I promoted the welfare of our land
I made the people rest in friendly
habitations;
I did not let them have anyone to terrorize
them.
The great gods called me,
So I became the beneficent shepherd whose
scepter is righteous;
In my bosom I carried the people of the land
of Sumer and Akkad;
They prospered under my protection;
I have governed them in peace;
I have sheltered them in my strength.
“To cause Justice to prevail in the country
To destroy the wicked and evil That the
strong may not oppress the weak”
“Any person feeling wronged in a legal matter
should go in front of the statue of me as “king
of Justice” and also have my inscribed stele
read out loud to him so he can hear my
precious words and my stele can explain the
case to him. By understanding his legal
situation, he can be comforted.”
“If (such a leader) has intelligence and wishes to
guide his land aright, he should heed the words
which I wrote on my stele, and it shall surely
show him the road and the way”
ANCIENT EMPIRES

ANCIENT EMPIRES


ANCIENT EMPIRES


Chronology of Assyrian Rulers
Ashurnasirpal II (883-859)
Shalmaneser III (858–824 B.C.E.).
Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)
Shalmaneser V (726-722)
Sargon II (721-705)
Sennacherib (704-681)
Esarhaddon (680-699)
Ashurbanipal (668-627)
Chronology of Key Assyrian Rules
8th & 7th Centuries:
Ashurnasirpal II (883-859)
Sargon II (721-705)
Balawat gates
cedarwood
reconstruction,
9th century BC
Ashurnasirpal II from Nimrud
Lion hunt, 9th c Nimrud closeup
Ashurnasirpal symbolic scene, from Nimrud
Ashernasirpal II (883-859)
Sargon II (721-705)
Asburbanipal (668-627)
THE TRIBUTE OF JEHU, SON OF OMRI
IMPOSED TRIBUTE ON WEALTHY MEN OF ISRAEL 2 KINGS 15:20
READINGS FROM THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

THE TRIBUTE OF JEHU, SON OF OMRI
CONQUERS THE TERRITORY OF NORTHERN
ISRAEL
(2 KI. 17:1-6)
REPOPULATED THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

‘SAMARITANS’
(2 KI. 17:24)

Black Obelisk

Tiglath pileser III, 728 BC
CAPTURES PORTIONS OF NOTHERN ISRAEL
AND IMPOSED TRIBUTE ON WEALTHY MEN
( 2 KI. 15:19,29 )
EXILED TRANSJORDAN TRIBES (2 KI. 15:29)
FINDS UZZIAH (aka Azariah) STOPS PAYING

TRIBUTE (FORGOTTEN THE OATH HE
SWORE TO ME) ANET.

DAMASSCUS AND ISRAEL WAGE WAR
LATER ON KING AHAZ TO JOIN AN ANIT-
ASSYRIAN COALITION AND TIGLATH-
PILESER III COMES TO HIS AID (II KI. 16:7-9;
ISA. 7)
•Ahaz does this against Isaiah’s counsel
•Pays Tiglath-Pileser with Money from
Temple.
PLACED HOSHEA ON THRONE (2 KI. 15:30)
ERRECTED A PAGAN ALTER IN THE TEMPLE

COMPOUND (II KI. 16:10-14)
Annals of Tiglath pileser III from Nimrud
Hadad on back of bull, stele from Tiglath-Pileser III's
palace in Arslan Tash


Sargon II (721-705)
Two key uprisings and regions where this
took place:
Palestine, revolts inspired by the

Egyptians
Babylon, revolts inspired by the Elamites
Relief of Sargon II
Entrance facade, Sargon II's palace in Khorsabad
Winged bull gateway, Sargon's palace at Khorsabad
Isaiah 20:1-6
In the year that the supreme commander, sent by

Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and
attacked and captured it-
“He threw him in shackles, fetters and iron bands,

and they brought him Assyria, a long journey”
(ANET pg 285)
Relief of Sargon II
DEPORTED THE ISRAELITES IN SAMARIA
2 Kings 17:6-7
IMPORTED FOREINGERS TO SAMARIA

MENTIONED IN RETROSPECT
Ezra 4:1-10,17
Relief of Sargon II

Sargon II (721-705)
Lachish letters
READINGS FROM THE
ANCIENT NEAR EAST
Lachish letters
BABYLON OFFERED TO HELP FIGHT
ASSYRIA WITH THEM. HEZEKIAH TURNED
DOWN THE ADVICE VIA ISAIAH
(11 KI. 20:12-19)
ASSYRIA ATTACKED JUDAH WHILE

COLLECTING TRIBUTE FROM THEM
2 KI. 18:13-16
LAID SIEGE TO JERUSALEM BUT LEFT
AFTER A PLAGUE FOR GOD?
2 KI. 18-19
ASSASINATED BY HIS SONS

ADRAMMELECH AND SHARZER
2 KI. 19:37
ASSYRIANS
ASSYRIANS
ASSYRIANS
ASSYRIANS
2 KINGS 14:25
“JONAH PROPHESIES
EXPANSION PRIOR TO TIGLATH
PILESER III”
Sennacherib prism
2 Kings 18:13-19:36
2 Chronicles 32:1 – 32:22
Isaiah 36:1 – 37:37
Sennacherib prism
2 Kings 18:13-19:36
2 Chronicles 32:1 – 32:22
Isaiah 36:1 – 37:37
The envoy sent to read this letter is a

common practice in Assyrian Governing.
The local governor court official would go.
In extreme cases a qurbutu i.e. an official
from the very court of the King of Assyria,
was sent. Possibly what took place here
reading this letter to the people.
Sennacherib prism
READINGS FROM THE
FIRST CENTURY WORLD
Josephus, Ant. X.i.4-5

Herodotus II, 141
Sennacherib prism
READINGS FROM THE
FIRST CENTURY WORLD
Sennacherib prism
“As for Hezekiah, the Jew, who did not submit
to my yoke, 46 of his strong, walled cities, as
well as the small cities in their neighborhood,
which were without number,—by leveling with
battering-rams (?) and by bringing up siege-
engines (?), by attacking and storming on
foot, by mines, tunnels and breaches (?), I
besieged and took (those cities). 200,150
people, great and small, male and female,
horses, mules, asses, camels,
Sennacherib prism cattle and
sheep, without number, I brought away from
them and counted as spoil. Himself, like a
caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem his royal
city. Earthworks I threw up against him,—the
one coming out of the city-gate, I turned back
to his misery.”
The Biblical World in Pictures; BAS Biblical World in Pictures. 2003; 2003. Biblical
Archaeology Society
No mention of the 185,000-man loss is recorded in his annals.
Sennacherib prism
Herodotus II, 141
Sennacherib prism
“During the night they were over run by a
horde of field mice that gnawed quivers and
bows and the handles of shields, with the
result that many were killed fleeing unarmed
the next day. And to this day a stone statue of
the Egyptian King stands in Hephaestus
temple, with a mouse in his hand, and an
inscription to this effect: ‘Look at me, and
believe.’”
Note in this account Herodutus attributes the death

to mice. The black plague was attributed to mice in
the middle ages when in fact it was the flees on mice
and rats that killed over 1/3 of the known world.
Sennacherib prism
JOSEPHUS 10.1.4-5
Sennacherib prism
JOSEPHUS
also the king of Assyria wrote an epistle to
Hezekiah
and he threatened, that when he took him, he
would utterly destroy him, unless he now
opened the gates
Sennacherib prism
JOSEPHUS
Herodotus does indeed give us this history
"Now when Sennacherib was returning from

his Egyptian war to Jerusalem, he found his
army under Rabshakeh his general in danger
[by a plague], …
he fled with the rest of his forces to his own

kingdom, and to his city Nineveh…
and died by the hands of his elder sons…
Sennacherib prism
Broad Wall of Hezekiah from east
2 KINGS 20:20
City of David from south
Siloam Pool
View up Central Valley by Pool of Siloam
JOHN 7:37-38
Siloam Pool

Sargon II (721-705)
A decree was given that Babylon was to lie in
ruins 70 years (like the captivity of Israel in
Babylon that would occur years later)
Esarhadden comes in to rebuild Babylon and

gain the favor of the people
It was said Marduk saw the writing decreed

for 70 years but turned the inscription upside
down making it only 11 when rebuilding
began with Esarhadden (in cuneiform 70 when
turned upside down is 11).

Sargon II (721-705)
Asburbanipal (668-627)
Son of Esarhaddon
•Attributed as the King who imported the
Samaritans into Samaria (Ezra 4)
•Imprisoned king Manasseh in Nineveh
2 Chron. 33:11
•Continued population transfer policy
Ezek. 4:2
•Demanded vassals swear allegiance to
Ashur, chief Assyrian deity 2 Ki. 21:2-9

Sargon II (721-705)
Ashurbanipal's court scholars list
Babylonian Chronicle, 615-609 BC with Nineveh's destruction
Nahum 1:15
Nahum 3:15
Nahum 3:19
ANCIENT EMPIRES

Babylonian Chronicle, 605-595 with capture of Jerusalem
Burnt House table and water jar
Nabonidus cylinder with prayer for himself and son Belshazzar
ANCIENT EMPIRES

Persian (Medes) 539 - 330 BCE
Cyrus Cylinder
READINGS FROM THE ANCIENT NEAR
EAST
cf. Ezra 1:1-3
Cyrus Cylinder

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ANCIENT EMPIRES

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Temple was center

King was high priest

City State allegiances with city Gods but a

Language, culture, and religion were Sumerian

The king as divine steward

The king as divine steward

The king as divine steward

The king as divine steward

The king as divine steward

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Flood tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Assyrian Empire 1400 - 1200 BCE

Neo - Assyrian Until 612 BCE

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Assyrian Empire 1400 - 1200 BCE

Neo - Assyrian Until 612 BCE

IMPOSED TRIBUTE ON WEALTHY MEN OF ISRAEL 2 KINGS 15:20

READINGS FROM THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

REPOPULATED THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

READINGS FROM THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)

EXILED TRANSJORDAN TRIBES (2 KI. 15:29)

FINDS UZZIAH (aka Azariah) STOPS PAYING

Tiglath pileser III, 728 BC

ERRECTED A PAGAN ALTER IN THE TEMPLE

Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)

Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)

Palestine, revolts inspired by the

Babylon, revolts inspired by the Elamites

In the year that the supreme commander, sent by

“He threw him in shackles, fetters and iron bands,

IMPORTED FOREINGERS TO SAMARIA

Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)

ASSYRIA ATTACKED JUDAH WHILE

ASSASINATED BY HIS SONS

The envoy sent to read this letter is a

Josephus, Ant. X.i.4-5

No mention of the 185,000-man loss is recorded in his annals.

Note in this account Herodutus attributes the death

Herodotus does indeed give us this history

"Now when Sennacherib was returning from

he fled with the rest of his forces to his own

Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)

Esarhadden comes in to rebuild Babylon and

It was said Marduk saw the writing decreed

Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)

Tiglath-Pileser III (744-727)

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

Sumerian Empire 2600 - 2400 BCE

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