Editing Hezekiah (section)

===Death of Sennacherib===
[[File:The Flight of Adrammelech Murch.jpg|thumb|170px|''The Flight of Adrammelech'', Biblical illustration by Arthur Murch]]

Of Sennacherib's death, 2 Kings records:
<blockquote>"It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him [Sennacherib] with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place."<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible'' {{bibleverse|2|Kings|19:37|HE}}</ref></blockquote>

According to Assyrian records, Sennacherib was assassinated in 681 BCE, twenty years after the 701 BCE invasion of Judah.<ref>J. D. Douglas, ed., ''New Bible Dictionary'' (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965) 1160.</ref> A Neo-Babylonian letter corroborates with the Biblical account, a sentiment from Sennacherib's sons to assassinate him, an event [[Assyriology|Assyriologists]] have reconstructed as historical. The son [[Arda-Mulissu]], who is mentioned in the letter as killing anyone who would reveal his conspiracy, murdered his father in c. 681 BCE,<ref>''The New Oxford Annotated Bible.'' 4th ed. New York: Oxford Press, 2010.</ref> and was most likely the Adrammelech in [[2 Kings]], though Sharezer is not known elsewhere.<ref name=ArchBible>''Archaeological Study Bible''. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. Print.</ref>

Assyriologists posit the murder was motivated by Esarhaddon being chosen as heir to the throne instead of Arda-Mulissu, the next eldest son. Assyrian and Hebrew Biblical history corroborate that [[Esarhaddon]] ultimately succeeded the throne. Other Assyriologists assert that Sennacherib was murdered in revenge for his destruction of Babylon, a city sacred to all Mesopotamians, including the Assyrians.<ref>Georges Roux. ''Ancient Iraq''.</ref>