The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib

The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib are a collection of official texts produced during his reign over the Assyrian Empire in the late eighth and early seventh centuries BCE. These writings were carved on stone slabs, prisms, and clay objects and placed in palaces and temples. They were not private records but were meant to be seen, read aloud, and remembered. In these inscriptions, Sennacherib presents his own version of events. He describes military campaigns, building projects, religious devotion, and the punishment of enemies. Cities are conquered, walls are torn down, tribute is collected, and gods are honored. The language is confident and repetitive, designed to emphasize order, power, and royal authority.