Just when you thought ISIS couldn’t get any wackier.
Back when ISIS was going around in Iraq and Syria trying to destroy all archaeological artifacts of pre-Islamic times, they decided to dig a tunnel. By 2016, ISIS was starting to lose numerous villages and cities and was being forced back, and one part of their territory that was lost was where they dug their tunnel. Archaeologists examined this tunnel, and through it they uncovered a palace of two biblical kings.
Towards the end of the 8th century BC, and early 7th century BC, to Assyrian kings to rule and interact with the holy land were named Sennacherib and Esarhaddon. These were mighty Assyrian kings, and all thanks to ISIS, we have uncovered the palace of these biblical kings. The Bible documents these two kings and their empire (Assyria was no less than an enormous empire during the 8th and 7th centuries BC, especially with the expansion during the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III) in 2 Kings 18:13-19:37, 2 Chronicles 32:1-23, Isaiah 36:1-37:38. In the newfound palace, an inscription was found written in cuneiform speaking of Sennacherib (whom built the castle), and this same palace was where his son (Esarhaddon) later lived as well during his reign.
Aside from this newfound inscription, though, there’s also a ton more evidence for the veracity of this biblical account. There are numerous inscriptions of the Assyrian ruler Sennacherib. The Bible tells us Sennacherib conquered and invaded Judah (but failed to capture Jerusalem), and Assyrian inscriptions at Ninevah confirm this. Esarhaddon had his own vassal treaty (if you know anything about the Vassal Treaty of Esarhaddon, otherwise known as the Esarhaddon Succession Treaty). But, these are not the only Assyrian kings in the Bible that have been historically confirmed. In fact, all six biblical Assyrian kings have been historically confirmed. We’ve spoken about two of them (Sennacherib and Esarhaddon), but what about Tiglath Pileser III (2 Kings 15:19), Shalmaneser V (2 Kings 17:2), Sargon II (Isaiah 20:1), and Adramelech (2 Kings 19:37)? It’s hard to go through all the data on Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, let alone all six Assyrian kings. Nevertheless, I don’t need to, because someone else already has. See items 35-40, and have a blessed day.