Esarhaddon

Esarhaddon
King of Assyria, Babylonia, Akkad, Sumer, Egypt and Kush
Esarhaddon, closeup from his victory stele
Reign	681 – 669 BC
Predecessor	Sennacherib
Successor	Ashurbanipal
Died	669 BC
Akkadian	Aššur-ahu-iddin
Greek	Ασαραδδων (Asaraddon)
Hebrew	אֵסַר חַדֹּן
Father	Sennacherib
Mother	Naqi'a

Esarhaddon (Akkadian: Aššur-aḥa-iddina "Ashur has given a brother"; Hebrew: אֵסַר חַדֹּן‎‎;Ancient Greek: Ασαραδδων;Latin: Asor Haddan) was a king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire who reigned 681 – 669 BC. He was the youngest son of Sennacherib and the West Semitic queen Naqi'a (Zakitu), Sennacherib's second wife.

When, despite being the youngest son, Esarhaddon was named successor by his father, his elder brothers tried to discredit him. Oracles had named him as the person to free the exiles and rebuild Babylon, the destruction of which by Sennacherib was felt to have been sacrilegious. Esarhaddon remained crown prince, but was forced into exile at an unknown place beyond Hanilgalbat (Mitanni), that is, beyond the Euphrates, most likely somewhere in what is now southeastern Turkey.

Sennacherib was murdered in 681 BC, supposedly at the instigation of Esarhaddon, but that seems hardly likely, as he was not in a situation to exploit unrest arising from the death of his father. The biblical account is that Esarhaddon's brothers killed their father after the failed attempt to capture Jerusalem and fled to the land of Ararat (2 Kings 19:37). He returned to the capital of Nineveh in forced marches and defeated his rival brothers in six weeks of civil war. He was formally declared king in the spring of 681 BC. His brothers fled the land, and their followers and families were put to death. In the same year he began the rebuilding of Babylon, including the well-known Esagila and the Ekur at Nippur (structures sometimes identified with the Tower of Babel). The statues of the Babylonian gods were restored and returned to the city. To appear nor too biased in favor of Babylonia, he ordered the reconstruction of the Assyrian sanctuary of Esharra in Ashur as well. Foreigners were forbidden to enter the temple. Both buildings were dedicated almost on the same date, the second year of his reign.