Sennacherib Prism Inscription (ca. A.D. 121)
In my Third Campaign to the land of Syria I went. Luliah, King of Sidon (for the fearful splendor of my Majesty had overwhelmed him) to a distant spot in the midst of the sea fled. His land I entered. [Many provinces], his cities and castles, walled and fenced; and his finest towns (for the flash of the weapons of Ashur my Lord had overcome them) made submission at my feet. Tubal, upon the throne over them I seated. A fixed tribute to my Majesty, paid yearly without fail, I imposed upon him. …
The chief priests, noblemen, and people of Ekron who Pariah their King (holding the faith and worship of Assyria) had placed in chains of iron, and unto Hezekiah King of Judah had delivered him and had acted towards the deity with hostility: these men were now terrified in their hearts. The Kings of Egypt and the soldiers, archers, chariots, and horses of Ethiopia, forces innumerable, gathered together and came to their assistance. In the plains of Altaku in front of me they placed their battle array: they discharged their arrows: with the weapons of Ashur my Lord, with them I fought, and I defeated them. …
Then I drew night the city of Ekron. The chief priests and noblemen who had committed these crimes, I put to death; on stakes all round the city I hung their bodies: the people of the city who had committed sins and crimes to slavery I gave. The rest of them who had not been guilty of faults and crimes, and who sinful things against the deity had not done, to spare them I gave command. Pariah their King from the midst of Jerusalem I brought out, and on a throne of royalty over them I seated. Tribute payable to my Majesty I fixed upon him.
And Hezekiah, King of Judah, who had not bowed down at my feet, 46 of his strong cities, castles, and the smaller towns in their neighborhood beyond number, with warlike engines … I attacked and captured. 200,150 people small and great, male and female, horses, mares, asses, camels oxen and sheep beyond number, for the midst of them I carried off and distributed as spoil. He himself, like a bird in a cage, inside Jerusalem his royal city, I shut him up: siege-towers against him I constructed, (for he had given command to renew the bulwarks of the great gate of his city). His cities which I plundered, from his kingdom I cut off …. I diminished his kingdom. Beyond the former scale of their yearly gifts their tribute and gifts to my Majesty I augmented and imposed upon them. He himself Hezekiah the fearful splendor of my Majesty had overwhelmed him. The workmen, soldiers, and builders whom for the fortification of Jerusalem his royal city he had collected within it, now carried tribute and with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver; woven cloth, scarlet, embroidered; precious stones of large size, couches of ivory, moveable thrones of ivory, skins of buffaloes, teeth of buffaloes, dan wood, ku wood, a great treasure of every kind, and his daughters, and the male and female inmates of his palace, male slaves and female slaves, unto Nineveh my royal city after me he sent; to pay tribute and do homage he sent his envoy.
"Annals of Sennacherib." The Library of Original Sources: Ideas that have Influenced Civilization, in the Original Documents, Translated. Vol. I: The Ancient World. Oliver J. Thatcher, ed. Translated by H. F. Talbot. Edition de Luxe. Milwaukee: University Research Extension Co., 1915, pp. 416-418.
