A contemporary drawing of King Hezekiah in Sennacherib’s palace?

ROYAL RELIEF-REPRESENTATION? Revealed: A 2,700-Year-Old Depiction of Jerusalem and Hezekiah? Remarkably, the relief may picture not only Jerusalem but also King Hezekiah himself (Brent Nagtegaal, Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology; from the November-December 2025 Let the Stones Speak Magazine Issue).

Finally, standing alone in the tallest tower was a single figure. He’s the only individual in the entire city. And he’s holding a standard, suggesting royal status. If Slab 28 depicts a scene from King Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah, and if the city depicted was Jerusalem, then this lone royal figure had to be King Hezekiah!

Compton's JNES article is behind the subscription wall, but Nagtegaal gives a detailed summary.

If the depicted figure is King Hezekiah, that's a significant discovery. Alas, the stylized figure leaves us little the wiser about what the king actually looked like.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem, its archaeology, and what may have happened there, start with the links collected here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.