Experience one of the greatest miracles in the Bible about how God saved Hezekiah and the city of Jerusalem. Sennacherib, King of Assyria, was defeated supernaturally by God because an angel of the Lord killed 185,000 soldiers.
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Location
- Hezekiah’s Broad Wall connected the lower part of the City of David with the west side of the Temple Mount.
- The part that is visible today is located just north of the Hurva Synagogue to the left of Bonei ha-Khoma St.
Historical Background
- After the dividing of the nation of Israel into two kingdoms (Israel and Judah) after King Solomon, God sent prophet after prophet to warn them to turn from their sinful ways and follow Him. However, all these warnings fell on deaf ears.
- All the 19 kings who reigned in the northern kingdom of Israel did not follow the Lord and acted wickedly.
- As a result, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered and taken into captivity by 722 BC by the Assyrians because of Israel’s continual disobedience.
- The Assyrian army was brutal and known for its torturous tactics. They intentionally instilled fear in the hearts of those they conquered to cause other countries to surrender instead of fighting.
- By 701 BC, the Assyrians, headed by Sennacherib, invaded Judah, the Southern Kingdom of Israel, because of their disobedience to God.
- According to an Assyrian stele found in the ruins of the royal palace of Nineveh, Sennacherib conquered 46 cities in Judea prior to attempting to conquer Jerusalem.
- God allowed most of Judah to be conquered but protected Jerusalem because of Hezekiah’s obedience to Him.
- As Hezekiah began to prepare for what he knew would be a terrible siege by a merciless Assyrian war machine, he had to figure out how to protect his people. This meant building new defenses.
- During the time of Hezekiah, Jerusalem’s urban population had grown far outside the old walls of the city and were unprotected.
- King Hezekiah fortified the existing walls of the city and built a new wall in a rapid manner to protect those living outside the city walls.
2 Chronicles 32:5: He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it, he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance.
- Hezekiah’s new wall measured about 22 feet wide (7 m.) by 25 feet high (8 m.).
- It was a massive undertaking and measured around 2.5 miles (4 km.) in length.
- A portion of the wall was discovered in the 1970s by Israeli archaeologist Nahman Avigad and dated to the reign of King Hezekiah (716-687 BC).
- It was called “Hezekiah’s Broad Wall” by archaeologists because of how wide it is.
- King Hezekiah also built a water tunnel in order to keep the water from the Gihon Spring inside the city walls so the Assyrians couldn’t cut off the water supply (2 Chron. 32:3–4). The curving tunnel is 583 yards (533 m.) long and has an altitude difference of 12 inches (30 cm.) between its two ends. It was chiseled from both ends to the middle at the same time. It took the water from the Gihon Spring under the mountain to the Pool of Siloam below the city of David.
Places of Interest
- Hezekiah’s Broad Wall.
- Gihon Spring
- Pool of Siloam
- Hezekiah's Tunnel
- City of David
- Temple Mount
Hezekiah in the Bible
- King Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, was a wicked king. He closed the doors to the temple and burned his children in sacrificial worship to false gods.
- King Hezekiah was a godly king who reopened the temple and restored worship to God. (2 Kings 18:3–6:).
- King Hezekiah chose not to serve the King of Assyria. (2 Kings 18:7:).
- Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, conquered the southern part of Judah, including the mighty city of Lachish. King Hezekiah tries to keep him at bay by paying him money (2 Kings 18:13–16).
- King Sennacherib makes plans to conquer Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:17).
- King Sennacherib mocks King Hezekiah and the God of Israel (2 Kings 18:32–35).
- King Hezekiah humbles himself before God and sends for the Prophet Isaiah (2 Kings 19:1–7).
- King Sennacherib once again threatens King Hezekiah and speaks against the God of Israel (2 Kings 19:9–12).
- Hezekiah seeks the Lord’s help (2 Kings 19:14–19).
- God answers Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Kings 19:20–22; 2 Kings 19:32–34).
- God miraculously destroys King Sennacherib and his army (2 Kings 19:35–37).