The
Palace of Sargon
The case of Sargon provides a good illustration
of the value of archaeology in relation
to the Bible. Sargon is one of the forgotten
persons who has been brought to life by
the archaeological pick, and he provides
a great illustration of the historical
trustworthiness of the Bible.
James Orr commented in 1906, "Ancient
writers knew nothing of him (Sargon). He was
a mystery: some did not hesitate to deny that
he ever existed.” Late in his reign Sargon
built a new capital city, which he called Dur-Sharrukin
('the fortress of Sargon'), known today as
Khorsabad. Among the buildings was a magnificently
sculptured palace, which was discovered by
the French archaeologist Paul-Emile Botta between
1842 and 1844. The British Museum has numerous
artifacts depicting Sargon including the “Sargon
Vase” which contains an inscription with
his name on it. The Oriental Institute of the
University of Chicago contains information
and photographs of the early excavations of
Sargon’s palace.
The Vatican Museum’s collection includes
an inscribed brick from Sargon’s palace
in Khorsabad. The inscription celebrates the
construction of the city and of the palace:
"Sargon, king of the universe, built
this city: Dûr-Sharrûkin ("The
fortress of Sargon") is its name; inside
it he had this unrivalled Palace built.”
The Sargon Inscription
This clay prism contains Assyrian inscriptions
in cuneiform writing that validates the Biblical
account regarding the capture and deportation
of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722
BC The inscriptions records the 8th campaign
of Sargon II in Syria and the revolts in
Samaria, the capital of northern Israel,
before and after Sargon’s campaigns.
The Assyrian inscriptions also record king
Sargon’s boasting, "I besieged
and captured Samaria, and carried off 27,290
of its inhabitants" (2 Kings 17:5-6).
This cuneiform tablet now resides in the
Louvre Museum in Paris
Scriptures
Isaiah 20:1 In
the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod,
when Sargon the king of
Assyria sent him, and fought
against Ashdod, and took it.
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