Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon was the youngest son of the Assyrian king Sennacherib and ascended to the throne in 680 BCE after the assassination of his father by older brothers, Adrammelech and Sharezer. His reign was marked by significant achievements, including the restoration of Babylon, which had been destroyed by his father, and notable territorial expansion of the Assyrian Empire, reaching as far as Egypt. In an effort to ensure peaceful succession, Esarhaddon designated his sons Ashurbanipal and Shamashshumukin as kings of Ashur and Babylonia, respectively. Despite these efforts, his death during a military campaign against Egypt triggered a civil war between his sons, which ultimately weakened the empire. Esarhaddon is also remembered for settling foreigners in northern Israel, as noted in biblical texts. His legacy reflects both the grandeur of Assyrian expansion and the vulnerabilities inherent in dynastic succession.
Esarhaddon
Related civilizations: Assyria, Babylonia
Major role/position: Monarch
Life
Esarhaddon (ee-sahr-HAD-uhn) was the youngest son of the Assyrian monarch Sennacherib, and his selection as heir-apparent in 689 b.c.e. evoked the homicidal ire of at least two older brothers, identified as Adrammelech and Sharezer in the biblical books of I Kings and Isaiah. Upon learning of the assassination of his father by his brothers, Esarhaddon entered Ashur and assumed the throne in 680 b.c.e. His vengeance on the fugitive parricides was delayed for seven years by affairs of state, including the restoration of the city of Babylon (destroyed by Sennacherib in 698 b.c.e.) and the expansion of the Assyrian Empire as far abroad as Egypt.
In 672 b.c.e., Esarhaddon attempted to secure a peaceful succession by designating his sons Ashurbanipal and Shamashshumukin as kings of Ashur and Babylonia, respectively. Esarhaddon’s adult years were marred by an illness to which he finally succumbed during a military campaign against Egypt.
Influence
Under Esarhaddon, Assyria achieved its greatest territorial expansion. Biblical authors remember him as a king who settled foreigners in northern Israel. In spite of Esarhaddon’s provision for a peaceful succession, an internecine civil war between his sons Ashurbanipal and Shamashshumukin severely weakened the Assyrian Empire.
Bibliography
Gwaltney, William C., Jr. “Assyrians.” In Peoples of the Old Testament World, edited by Alfred J. Hoerth et al. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1994.
Leichty, Erle. Esarhaddon, King of Assyria. In Civilizations of the Ancient Near East, edited by Jack M. Sasson. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1995.