Isaiah 20:1 (Ashdod)
Isaiah 20:1 (ESV)
"In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it..." — Isaiah 20:1 (ESV)
Fulfillment
Critical
For centuries, Sargon II was unknown to history outside of this biblical verse. Because his name did not appear in prominent classical histories, critical scholars in the early 19th century doubted his existence, suggesting the biblical account might be erroneous or referring to a different king by another name.
Historic
In 1843, the French archaeologist Paul-Émile Botta discovered the ruins of Sargon's vast palace at Dur-Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad). Among the finds were extensive annals and inscriptions.
The inscriptions of Sargon II specifically describe his siege and capture of Ashdod in 711 BCE.
This discovery provided striking confirmation of Isaiah's historical accuracy regarding both the existence of the king and the specific military campaign mentioned.
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Conclusion
The prophecy contains specific verifiable details—the name of the king (Sargon), the target city (Ashdod), and the outcome (capture)—which have been fully corroborated by archaeological evidence. The discovery of Sargon's palace and annals transformed this from a debated passage to a testament of the Bible's historical reliability.