"Ancient 2,700-year-old inscriptions have been uncovered underneath the biblical Tomb of Jonah,
which was destroyed by Islamic State terror group militants in 2014 in Iraq. The inscriptions mention "great gods" belonging to the Assyrian tradition.
The latest archaeological digs beneath the tomb have discovered inscriptions describing the rule of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon, who is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
Esarhaddon is also said to have "reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur [the chief god of the Assyrians]," another inscription reads. It adds that Esarhaddon also rebuilt the ancient cities of Babylon and Esagil, and "renewed the statues of the great gods."
"The palace of Esarhaddon, strong king,
Esarhaddon is also said to have renovated a palace built for King Sennacherib, whose military rule is described in II Chronicles 32:1 in the Old Testament, reading: "After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself."
Archaeologists have found stone sculptures of other ancient deities, such as an Assyrian demi-goddess believed to sprinkle "water of life" to protect humans in her care.
The inscriptions also tell of Esarhaddon's family history, saying that he is the son of Sennacherib [reign 704–681 B.C.] and a descendent of Sargon II (reign 721–705 B.C.), who was also "king of the world, king of Assyria."CP
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| Esarhaddon |
The latest archaeological digs beneath the tomb have discovered inscriptions describing the rule of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon, who is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
Esarhaddon is also said to have "reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur [the chief god of the Assyrians]," another inscription reads. It adds that Esarhaddon also rebuilt the ancient cities of Babylon and Esagil, and "renewed the statues of the great gods."
"The palace of Esarhaddon, strong king,
king of the world,
king of Assyria,
governor of Babylon,
king of Sumer and Akkad,
king of the kings of lower Egypt, upper Egypt and Kush
[an ancient kingdom located south of Egypt in Nubia]," one of the deciphered engravings reads.Esarhaddon is also said to have renovated a palace built for King Sennacherib, whose military rule is described in II Chronicles 32:1 in the Old Testament, reading: "After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself."
Archaeologists have found stone sculptures of other ancient deities, such as an Assyrian demi-goddess believed to sprinkle "water of life" to protect humans in her care.
The inscriptions also tell of Esarhaddon's family history, saying that he is the son of Sennacherib [reign 704–681 B.C.] and a descendent of Sargon II (reign 721–705 B.C.), who was also "king of the world, king of Assyria."CP
