Peter Paul Rubens
The Defeat of Sennacherib
Creation
1618-1645
Dimensions
37.4 x 46 cm
Material / Technique
paper/etching
Rubens prints
prints, photographs
Artist
Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640)
Engraver
Pieter Claesz Soutman (1580 - 1657)
About the object
According to the Bible (2 Kings 18–19), the Assyrian king Sennacherib (705 – 681 BC) besieged Jerusalem after having destroyed large parts of the Kingdom of Judah. Yet he was unable to take the city. In the biblical account, Jerusalem is miraculously saved by an angel who defeated the Assyrian army and forced Sennacherib to retreat.
This scene underscores that Sennacherib’s sin of hubris against the God of Israel led to his downfall.