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c. 691 BC · Old Testament era

Taylor Prism (Sennacherib's Annals)

The Taylor Prism, a six-sided clay prism densely covered in cuneiform
This image was produced by me, David Castor (user:dcastor). The pictures I submit to the Wikipedia Project are released to the public domain. This gives you the, Public domain — source

Sennacherib's own annals brag through Judah city by city: forty-six walled towns taken, enormous plunder, and Hezekiah shut up in Jerusalem “like a bird in a cage.” Then the boasting goes quiet. Assyrian kings never admitted defeat, but they always recorded a capture — and for Jerusalem there is none. The prism claims tribute; the Bible reports tribute too, and a siege that ended with the city still standing. On the decisive point, the enemy's silence and the Bible's story agree.

What it is
Hexagonal baked-clay prism carrying Sennacherib's official campaign record in cuneiform
Date of artifact
c. 691 BC
Discovered
Nineveh, Iraq, 1830 (acquired by Colonel Robert Taylor; duplicates in Chicago and Jerusalem)
Where it is now
British Museum, London
Related to
The siege of Jerusalem under King Hezekiah in 701 BC
पवित्र-वचन
2 Kings 18–19 · Isaiah 36–37
What this find showsSennacherib invaded Judah in 701 BC, devastated its towns, extracted heavy tribute from Hezekiah — and did not take Jerusalem.
What it does not proveWhy the siege ended is beyond archaeology. The Bible attributes it to the angel of the LORD; historians weigh plague, politics or payoff. The prism can confirm the outcome, not the cause. (Its “46 cities” and captive counts are also likely inflated.)
स्रोत एवं आगे पढ़ने के लिए
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