A Long-Lost Assyrian Military Camp From the Hebrew Bible Uncovered

This specific military camp from ancient times is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as having been destroyed by the “angel of the Lord.” While well known because of the discussion of it in the Bible, Sennacherib’s camp has never been identified — until now.

Sennacherib’s siege of Jerusalem was a part of one of these campaigns to control the route from the Syrian Desert to the Mediterranean Sea.

These two sieges conducted by Sennacherib have left scholars looking for possibly two different military camps from ancient times.

Both the Christian and Hebrew Bibles refer to what happened here, which is why some archaeologists were keen to learn more.

Meanwhile, Assyrian inscriptions from this time state that the King of Judah Hezekiah gave a huge tribute to encourage the Assyrian army to leave Jerusalem.

Now, Stephen Compton, a scholar focused on Near Eastern Archaeology, believes that he may have finally found where two different camps were located thousands of years ago.

He did this so that he could compare it with other historical and biblical records of the site to check whether it was the Assyrian military camp or something else entirely.

Compton paid extra attention to the relief’s depiction of the Assyrian military camp, then compared this art to mid-20th century photos of Lachish.

In this location, an oval structure with walls can be seen. According to Compton, many ancient Assyrian military camps were oval-shaped.

These panels are from his military camp, which was fortified with 24 guard towers.

Compton has explained that the Arabic word “Mudawwara” was used in the Middle Ages to connote that this was a place where a sultan or leader had placed a military camp. Interestingly, this area was called “Khirbet al Mudawwara.” Compton has suggested that those who lived in this region later on knew that the Assyrians had once camped there.

The pottery found at this site has the same style seen on 700 B.C. pottery. However, future excavations in the area may help find more pottery to further support Compton’s theory.

However, this latest discovery could prove that religion is real. Regardless, it definitely shows that something has gone on here, which seems highly likely to be Sennacherib’s siege from the Hebrew Bible.

It only serves to confirm the historical records that there was the presence of Assyrian military forces thousands of years ago near Jerusalem during Sennacherib’s reign.

While everything else can be verified, it’s unknown if this amount of soldiers died. If they did die, it’s unknown whether the angel caused it or if it resulted from fighting.

Compton referenced the 1880s findings of the Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) which discovered walls at a site north of the Temple Mount called Jebel el Mudawwara.

Compton also pointed out the use of the word “Mudawwara” again. Unfortunately, conducting new excavations in this area could be difficult thanks to the many battles and buildings this specific area has seen in the past 100 years. Today, a museum is located in the area.

One way to do this is to look at the shape of the camp. If it is an oval, it is an Assyrian military camp. However, if it is a rectangle, it is a Roman military camp.

There is hope that even more camps than the ones that have been discovered will also be found using the same methods.

This is a portable sanctuary that was constructed by Moses. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tabernacle was set up at Nob, and Nob was where Sennacherib halted to attack Jerusalem.

However, other scholars remain doubtful that these areas are truly the sites of two ancient Assyrian camps.

In 1948, Jordanian soldiers were positioned there, where they built several trenches and forts. Then, in 1967, there was a battle between the Israelis and Jordanian troops, resulting in the Israeli troops taking the hill.

This is another reason why the excavations are going to be difficult. Had these changes not been made, the excavation process would have been a lot easier, as the area wouldn’t have anything from the 20th century onwards.

If archeologists in both these Lachish and Jerusalem sites can excavate the area further, they may be able to find out, once and for all, if these truly are the ancient sites of Assyria’s military.