Stephen Compton
Stephen Compton is an ancient historian—in both senses of the term. He spent much of his career in academic publishing, where he had the privilege of editing and refining the work of some of the world’s leading scholars. In recent years, his own research has included the identification of the earliest known image of Jerusalem, carved into the throne-room wall of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, a discovery featured as the lead article in the prestigious Journal of Near Eastern Studies. Other discoveries relevant to biblical archaeology include locating Sennacherib’s siege camp outside Lachish and identifying several long-misplaced cities connected with the biblical world. He holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University and is currently pursuing a PhD in Ancient Near Eastern Studies.
Presenter at
Bible & Archaeology Fest XXIX, November 7th and 8th, 2026
Tracking Sennacherib through Judah: From Lost Siege Camps and Misplaced Cities to the Earliest Depiction of Jerusalem
This presentation traces the path of the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib through Judah during his famous 701 BC campaign, one of the most consequential events in the Bible. Beginning with the author’s recent identification of Sennacherib’s siege camps, it reconstructs the route and strategy of the Assyrian invasion before turning to a remarkable new proposal: that a scene carved into Sennacherib’s throne-room wall at Nineveh preserves the earliest known depiction of Jerusalem. Drawing together archaeology, ancient texts, topography, and Assyrian art, the presentation explores how these discoveries shed new light on the Assyrian conquest of Judah, Jerusalem’s remarkable survival, and the historical world behind some of the Bible’s most enduring narratives.
