Its the siege of Lachish, but also a much more wide ranging explanation of Assyrian siegecraft more generally. Including how it was recognizably modern and, in many ways, responsible for modernity.

In 701 BCE, Assyrian king Sennacherib launched his western campaign against Judah, bringing him into direct conflict with King Hezekiah and the political counsel of the prophet Isaiah. The decisive field battle of that year was not at Jerusalem, but at Eltekeh, where Assyrian troops defeated an Egyptian and Kushite force sent to support the rebellious Philistine city of Ekron.

This episode reconstructs the full 701 campaign from Assyrian annals and biblical accounts, beginning with the minor 702 operations in the Zagros mountains against Zamua, Parsua, and Ellipi, then following Sennacherib to the Phoenician coast. We cover the flight of Luli, king of Tyre, to Cyprus, the installation of Itobaal at Sidon, and the submission of eight Levantine rulers from Ashdod, Byblos, Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Arwad.

We then turn to Philistia: the internal coup at Ashkelon, the Ekronite revolt that handed King Padi over to Hezekiah, and Sennacherib's restoration of Padi after the victory at Eltekeh. The episode explains why Jerusalem faced only a blockade rather than a full siege, examines Isaiah's advice against an Egyptian alliance, and considers the logistical, political, and possible epidemiological reasons Sennacherib withdrew with massive tribute but without taking the city.

Music from the show: oldeststories.net/music (or search "Oldest Stories Music")

Support the show:

Books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate: oldeststories.net

Patreon / YouTube members get bonus episodes: patreon.com/JamesBleckley

No-AI readings of ancient texts: youtube.com/@osnightreading

Babylon had survived five destructions before Sennacherib tried to erase it for good. Why did Assyria's most bookish king — a man who loved Babylonian scholarship — finally flood the city and smash its temples in 689 BCE?

This is Oldest Stories, a biweekly deep dive into ancient Mesopotamia. Online at oldeststories.net

In this episode we trace Babylon's strange immortality: a city founded around 1894 BCE that claimed six thousand years of history by borrowing it from Eridu, the first city of the gods. We walk through each of Babylon's "deaths":

Death 1: the ritual transfer from dying Eridu to Babylon under Hammurabi's successors, making Babylon the heir to pre-Flood kingship

Death 2: the Hittite sack of 1595 BCE and decades of abandonment

The Kassite revival, when Babylon became the world's university town, exporting doctors and diviners instead of armies

The humiliations under Tukulti-Ninurta I, the Elamite sack that stole Marduk, and Nebuchadnezzar I's brief martial comeback

The long grind with Assyria: Merodach-Baladan's revolts, Sennacherib's first campaign at Cutha and Kish in 703 BCE, the puppet kings Bel-ibni and Assur-nadin-shumi, the 694 BCE boat raid on Elam, the Elamite counterstroke in 693, and the bloodbath at Halule in 691

We end with the two-year siege of Babylon, Sennacherib's decision to dig a canal through the city, and what the destruction meant for cuneiform civilization. If Babylon had stayed dead, would Mesopotamian culture have lasted longer?

This episode continues our Sennacherib series. For the rise of Sargon II, Tiglath-Pileser III, and the earlier Assyrian-Babylonian wars, see the playlist.

Music from the show: oldeststories.net/music (or search "Oldest Stories Music")

Support the show:

Books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate: oldeststories.net

Patreon / YouTube members get bonus episodes: patreon.com/JamesBleckley

No-AI readings of ancient texts: youtube.com/@osnightreading

Sennacherib is remembered in the Bible as a villain, the Assyrian king who invaded Judah and stood against Jerusalem. But that reputation, like his father Sargon’s as a world conqueror, may be misleading. Beneath the image of the tyrant is a ruler who was unusually patient, deeply pious, and more interested in building than destroying.

In this episode of Oldest Stories, we enter the Sargonid period of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and examine the life and character of Sennacherib. Raised not as a destined king but as a highly educated noble, Sennacherib emerges as a scholar-prince shaped by scribal learning, administration, and religious devotion. Unlike many Assyrian rulers, his early career shows little involvement in military campaigns and instead reveals a man deeply embedded in the machinery of empire.

We also explore the transformation of Assyria under Sargon II and his predecessors, including the rise of centralized administration, the expansion of provincial governance, and the increasing role of eunuch officials in managing imperial bureaucracy. This was a turning point in Near Eastern history, where older systems of vassal relationships gave way to a more structured and enduring imperial model.

At the heart of the episode is the shocking death of Sargon II in 705 BC. His defeat in Tabal, and the failure to recover his body, triggered a crisis not just of leadership but of theology. In the ancient Near East, an unburied king was not merely a tragedy—it was a sign of divine judgment. Sennacherib’s response, preserved in fragments of a text known as The Sin of Sargon, reveals a ruler attempting to understand the will of the gods through systematic divination, ritual purification, and personal introspection.

From the abandonment of Dur-Sharrukin to the rise of Nineveh as imperial capital, this episode traces how Sennacherib stabilized a shaken empire and laid the groundwork for the great scholar-kings who would follow, including Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal. His reign marks a shift away from relentless expansion toward consolidation, administration, and monumental construction—developments that would shape the final century of Assyrian dominance.

This is the story of a king caught between fear and order, between divine wrath and imperial responsibility, and of an empire learning how to govern itself at scale.

Like the songs at the end of the episodes? Check out the Oldest Stories Album about Mesopotamian History here:

https://oldeststories.wordpress.com/2026/04/08/oldest-stories-music-page/

Or search Oldest Stories or Oldest Stories Music on your favorite music platform.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content produced when and as I have time.

This episode examines the final major campaign of Sargon II of Assyria (reigned 722–705 BCE) and the long conflict with the Chaldean ruler Marduk-apla-iddina II (Merodach-Baladan) for control of Babylonia. Early in Sargon’s reign the Neo-Assyrian king suffered a serious defeat near the city of Der when an Elamite army intervened in support of the Babylonian revolt. The loss allowed Merodach-Baladan, leader of the Bit-Yakin Chaldean tribe, to claim the throne of Babylon and rule much of southern Mesopotamia for roughly a decade.

After spending many years campaigning on other frontiers of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Sargon finally returned to Babylonia in a major campaign around 709 BCE. The episode explores the political and military situation in southern Mesopotamia at the time, including the complex relationships between Babylonian cities, Chaldean tribes, Aramean groups, and the kingdom of Elam. Evidence from Assyrian royal inscriptions and administrative texts suggests that Sargon relied not only on military force but also on diplomacy and internal divisions within Babylonia, encouraging cities and tribes to abandon Merodach-Baladan before the main Assyrian army arrived.

The campaign ultimately led to Sargon’s entry into Babylon, where he participated in the important Akitu New Year festival and symbolically “took the hands of the god Marduk,” an act that confirmed his legitimacy in the traditional Babylonian religious system. However, the war continued in the far south in the marshlands of the Sealand, where Merodach-Baladan and the Bit-Yakin tribe attempted to resist from fortified settlements such as Dur-Yakin. The episode discusses the difficult fighting in the marshy terrain of southern Mesopotamia, the role of tribal auxiliaries and archers, and the logistical challenges faced by Assyrian forces during prolonged sieges and campaigns in the river delta.

Although Sargon ultimately regained control of Babylon and forced Merodach-Baladan into exile, the political situation remained fragile. In the final years of his reign Sargon governed Babylonia personally while continuing to oversee construction of his new royal capital at Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad). The episode concludes with the unexpected end of Sargon’s career when he was killed during a campaign in Tabal in Anatolia in 705 BCE, an event that shocked the Assyrian world and had lasting consequences for imperial politics and religious interpretation of his reign.

Topics discussed in this episode include Sargon II, the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Babylonian history, Merodach-Baladan, Chaldean tribes, Elam, Assyrian military campaigns, Dur-Yakin, the Sealand of southern Mesopotamia, the Akitu festival, Dur-Sharrukin, and the political transition to the reign of Sennacherib.

Like the songs at the end of the episodes? Check out the Oldest Stories Album about Mesopotamian History here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/oldeststoriesmusic/oldest-stories-vol-1 Or also at your favorite music distributor, probably.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content produced when and as I have time.

How does one "do" history, and can an AI do it? The answers:1. You don't "do" history, you feel it.2. AI can do the actions of history, but it can't feel it.Bonus rant: I never liked the idea that the point of history is to learn from the past. Yes, there is learning to be done, that can be both useful and fun, but I feel that this reduces history to something less than it is in practice. And indeed, think about your own consumption of history, how often are you learning valuable lessons compared to how often you are simply experiencing the unique feeling of exploring the wider cosmos and seeing both your place within it and your connection with ancestors and the web of human connection? My bet is that the majority of it is the latter. And, indeed, I would suggest that much of the satisfaction of fiction, particularly world-exploring fiction like sci-fi and fantasy, is an artificially heightened version of the satisfaction you would have gotten from studying real history, the way hentai girlfriends are artificially heightened versions of real women with the unpleasant bits shaved off - those unpleasant bits are often the parts that are most meaningful. If history is a feeling, it is one we don't have much vocabulary for. But it is not one that can be replicated by robots, because it intrinsically resists optimization and completeness. It isn't just a push on the dopamine lever like a gatcha game. It is a textured thing, a feeling that encompasses more than the experience of experiencing it.

Oldest Stories Album available here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/oldeststoriesmusic/oldest-stories-vol-1 but also possibly on your favorite music distributor service also. Check it out!

This episode examines the middle years of the reign of Sargon II of Assyria (r. 722–705 BCE) during a brief period when the Assyrian Empire faced unusually little large-scale war. Following Sargon’s major victory over Urartu in 714–713 BCE, the geopolitical balance of the Near East shifted dramatically. Urartu, long the primary rival to Assyria in the Armenian highlands, was weakened both by Sargon’s campaign and by the simultaneous arrival of Cimmerian nomadic groups moving south from the Eurasian steppe. With the northern frontier temporarily stabilized, Assyria was able to redirect attention to other regions of the empire.

The episode explores several smaller conflicts and political developments across the western and northern frontiers of the Assyrian state. These include Assyrian responses to Ionian Greek activity in the eastern Mediterranean, tensions involving the kingdom of Phrygia under King Midas, and Assyrian intervention in Que (Cilicia) and surrounding Anatolian regions. At the same time, Sargon dealt with internal revolts and political instability among the Medes, the mountain regions of Ellipi and Karalla, and the frontier kingdoms of Tabal and Melid. These campaigns illustrate the normal functioning of Assyrian imperial policy: suppression of rebellions, deportations of local populations, and the conversion of client kingdoms into directly administered Assyrian provinces.

A major focus of the episode is the internal operation of the Assyrian imperial system during periods without major war. The construction of Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad), Sargon II’s new royal capital, was underway during these years and required enormous logistical coordination. The episode discusses how the Assyrian state mobilized labor through the ilku labor obligation, how deported populations enabled large-scale construction and agricultural expansion, and how provincial governors coordinated the movement of materials such as timber, metals, and stone across the empire. Additional projects included fortress construction along frontier regions, mining expansion in the Zagros and Syrian territories, canal digging, orchard planting, and temple renovation in major Assyrian cities.

The episode also examines Assyria’s economic structure and trade environment during Sargon’s reign. Evidence from administrative letters suggests increased regulation of trade routes and resource flows, including restrictions on certain goods such as iron. Interactions with Arab tribes and desert traders, including references to Queen Samsi of the Arabs, highlight the complex relationship between Assyria and nomadic groups operating on the edges of imperial control.

Finally, the narrative turns to renewed instability in the west triggered by rumors of Sargon’s death and unfavorable omens. Rebellions in Philistine Ashdod, Gurgum, and Kammanu prompted swift Assyrian retaliation, demonstrating the continuing reliance on rapid punitive campaigns to maintain imperial authority. These events mark the end of the short period of relative calm and set the stage for Sargon’s major campaign to reclaim Babylon, which had been lost earlier in his reign after the revolt of Merodach-Baladan and Elamite intervention.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content produced when and as I have time.

This episode explores how the Neo-Assyrian Empire actually functioned at the administrative level under Sargon II, focusing on imperial bureaucracy, logistics, and governance. Using surviving Assyrian letters and court records, we examine the real machinery of empire: provincial governors, royal magnates, intelligence networks, military command structure, taxation, construction logistics, and the role of officials like the Rab Shaqe, Turtan, Sukkallu, Sartinnu, Ummanu, and Masennu.

Rather than focusing on warfare alone, this episode shows how Assyria maintained control through record-keeping, resource management, legal authority, and centralized oversight. Topics include Dur-Sharrukin’s construction, Assyrian spy networks, provincial administration, legal appeals, slavery and fines, river ordeals, divination in government, and the logistics behind canal building, armies, and royal projects.

Primary sources from Neo-Assyrian archives reveal how officials negotiated with the king, managed shortages, tracked materials, and enforced justice across a multi-ethnic empire. This is a deep dive into Assyrian imperial administration, ancient Near Eastern bureaucracy, and the practical realities of ruling one of history’s first true empires.

Keywords: Neo-Assyrian Empire, Sargon II, Assyrian administration, ancient bureaucracy, Mesopotamian government, Assyrian letters, Dur-Sharrukin, Assyrian logistics, ancient empires, Near East history, Assyrian law, provincial governors, ancient military organization, Assyrian records, Mesopotamian history.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content produced when and as I have time.

In this episode of Oldest Stories, we cover Sargon II of Assyria and his most famous campaign: the Great Invasion of Urartu (714 BCE), centered on the extraordinary Assyrian text known as Sargon’s Letter to Ashur. This episode examines the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Assyrian military strategy, intelligence networks, and imperial warfare in the late 8th century BCE, drawing directly from Assyrian royal inscriptions, letters, and annals.

We follow Sargon II (r. 722–705 BCE) from the construction of Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad) through his campaigns in Mannea, Zikirtu, Zamua, the Zagros Mountains, and deep into Urartian territory near Lake Van. Special attention is given to Assyrian spy networks and intelligence reports, including letters from the Assyrian agent Assur-resuwa, which provide rare, detailed insight into ancient espionage, reconnaissance, and military planning.

The episode analyzes the Letter to Ashur, one of the most detailed narrative texts to survive from ancient Mesopotamia, describing Sargon’s march routes, logistics, road construction, mountain warfare, pitched battles, and large-scale destruction. We discuss how this text differs from typical Assyrian annals, why it was written, and how it shaped Sargon’s reputation as a conqueror.

Major topics include:

• Sargon II and the Sargonid dynasty

• Assyrian military organization and logistics

• Ancient Near Eastern intelligence and espionage

• The Assyrian–Urartian rivalry

• Mannea, Zikirtu, Musasir, and Nairi

• The sack of Musasir (Ardini) and the capture of the god Ḫaldi

• Destruction of Urartian cities, orchards, irrigation systems, and tax bases

• Imperial propaganda vs historical reality

• Ancient warfare in the Zagros Mountains

• Neo-Assyrian imperial ideology and kingship

• The beginning of Assyria’s late imperial “golden age”

This episode is ideal for listeners interested in Assyrian history, ancient Mesopotamia, Urartu, biblical-era history, ancient warfare, Near Eastern archaeology, and primary historical sources from the first millennium BCE.

Oldest Stories is a long-form history podcast focused on the ancient Near East, especially Mesopotamia, Assyria, Babylon, and the surrounding world. New episodes explore royal inscriptions, letters, myths, daily life, and the political realities behind ancient empires.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content produced when and as I have time.

In this episode, we break down the composition of the Neo-Assyrian Army under the Sargonid dynasty (Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, and their successors) and explain why Assyria’s battlefield dominance in the 8th–7th centuries BCE was not just “more men” or “more brutality,” but a specific military system built around logistics, organization, and a flexible combined-arms force.

You’ll learn what the core Assyrian infantryman looked like in practice: a general-purpose soldier equipped for multiple battlefield roles (spear, sword, bow, and shield), and why that versatility mattered for campaigns, garrisons, policing, construction, and sieges. We also examine how Assyrian military service worked, including seasonal call-ups, corvée-style obligations, land-grant service (ilkum), and the expectation of plunder—structures that helped sustain long campaigns without a fully modern “paid army” model.

From there, we move to the elite infantry (often associated with the royal guard) and the implications of lamellar armor in the Near Eastern heat. Armor, discipline, conditioning, and unit performance are treated as connected variables, not isolated trivia. We then reconstruct the iconic Assyrian shield-wall-and-archer system: tower shields, spear line behavior, the archer line directly behind the shields, and how this formation changes the psychology of spear-range fighting by making “safe distance” impossible.

The episode also covers the auxiliary/light infantry contingents organized along ethnic lines across the Assyrian Empire—why they were valued, how unit cohesion and veterancy can create tactical flexibility, and how these forces complemented the main line. Finally, we examine mounted forces during the Sargonid period: the maturation of true cavalry, the decline of chariotry into more limited roles, early spear cavalry, horse archery, equipment constraints before saddles and widespread horse armor, and how Assyria used mobility to exploit gaps, pursue breaks, and keep operational tempo high.

If you are interested in ancient warfare, the Bronze Age collapse aftermath, Neo-Assyrian history, Near Eastern military organization, imperial logistics, siege warfare, and the military reforms that shaped the ancient world, this episode is a deep, practical reconstruction grounded in how armies actually functioned on campaign and in battle.

Key topics and terms for search: Neo-Assyrian Empire, Sargon II, Sargonids, Tiglath-Pileser III, Sennacherib, Assyrian army, Assyrian infantry, Assyrian royal guard, lamellar armor, scale armor, tower shields, shield wall, Assyrian archers, composite recurve bow, ancient logistics, corvée labor, ilkum land grants, plunder economy, auxiliary troops, Itu’eans, Arameans, Hittites, Elamites, Urartu, cavalry origins, chariots to cavalry transition, combined arms in antiquity, ancient battle tactics, Near East military history, 8th century BCE, 7th century BCE.

Next episode preview: the campaign of 714 BCE against Urartu—one of the best documented operations of the ancient world, including intelligence, logistics, and royal correspondence.

I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.

If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:

Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS

Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/

or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley

or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join

Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content produced when and as I have time.