Hezeqiah's cage, II

In English we have plenty of misused cliches, like the Iceberg Tip; tonight we'll talk the Sitting Duck or the Embarrelled Fish. Davila in PaleoJudaica has linked to the Caged Bird.

Assyrians used to have their kings "hunt" lions. Woo Min Lee reports that a lot of those "hunts" were more like the Roman Circus where some wild beast was brought into an arena(!). There the king would slay the beast. Like a Spanish bullfight, or Commodus the gladiator. At some point some onlooker scoffed that this was like [fighting] a bird in a cage (kīma iṣṣur quppi). The king Ashurnasirpal II adopted this metaphor with little hint of irony as he slew hundreds of lions. And elephants: the latter which, Wiki is telling me had been introduced from India.

Metaphors of the lion hunt entered the military, Assyrians being Assyrians. The encirclement, at which Assyrians excelled, was perfect for the caged-bird metaphor. For cities this could be, and was, used for the siege. Especially once victorious.

None of this need imply that the bird/lion must be slain in such a battle. If there was a sack and pillage, the Assyrians would tell us - and illustrate it. Jerusalem under Hezeqiah did not receive this treatment. Even a hunter might decide to catch-and-release; why run out the supply.

Lee believes that the Assyrians recognised that Judah was beaten. A sack, of sorts, took place; tribute changed hands. Hezeqiah kissed the emperor's feet. Thereby Hezeqiah got to stay on that throne, if now a poorer throne. At least his shrine now enjoyed a monopoly.

Hezeqiah's successors made themselves odious in later generations as they went so far as to allow the gods of the Empire. YHWH was kissing the feet of Anshar; his angels were caged.