Sargon II with Staff in Hand

Could this staff of Sargon have been the very object of the Lord's words of anger?

Sargon II with his Staff in Hand is seen here with a high official which could be Sennacherib.

Sargon is easily recognized with his truncated cone headdress. This 10 foot tall wall relief was discovered in the ruins of ancient Khorsabad by the French archaeologist Paul Emil Botta in 1842. It is considered an important discovery in Biblical Archaeology confirming the Biblical account.

"Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. Isaiah 10:5

"In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;" Isaiah 20:1

Detailed Description of the Sargon Relief

Material - Gypseous alabaster 
Neo Assyrian, reign of Sargon II
Date: 721-705 BC
Height: 3.30 m (129.92126 inches, 10.8267717 feet)
Width: 
Depth: 
Khorsabad (Dur Sharrukin), northeast Iraq
Excavated by: P. E. Botta in 1842 
Location: The Louvre, France
Item: AO 19873-74

The Louvre Excerpt

"At the end of the 8th century BC, Sargon II, king of Assyria, built a vast palace of over ten hectares in his new capital, Dur-Sharruk�n (now Khorsabad). Part of the rooms and courtyards were covered with a rich sculpted decoration. On this slab which was placed on a fa�ade of the northern part of the palace (fa�ade L), Sargon II, recognizable by his truncated cone headdress, is shown welcoming a high official who could be identified as Sennacherib, the crown prince." - The Louvre Museum

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"Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations. For he says, "Are not my princes altogether kings? Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?"' Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks." For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man."  Isaiah 10:5-13

Related Pages:

Free Bible - Sargon II Relief

Sargon II and a high official

The Destruction of Israel - Sargon II

Four-Winged Deity from Assyria Palace of Sargon II

Four-Winged Deity from Assyria Palace at Khorsabad

Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Archaeological Discoveries

Free Bible - Winged Bull - Two Sided

Assyria and Bible Prophecy - Timeline of Events

Tablet of Sargon's 8th campaign

Ancient History Timeline

The Destruction of Israel - Kings of Israel, Judah and Assyria

Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Khorsabad

Timeline 800 - 700 BC

The Assyrians

The Captivity

Bible History Links - Biblical Archaeology : Assyria

Bible History Links - Ancient Near East : Art & Images

Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Calah

Ancient Babylonia - Nimrud

Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Austen Henry Layard

Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Ancient Assyria

HUNTING in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Calah

Ancient Sketches