King of Assyria (705/704-681 BC), son of Sargon II, who made Nineveh his capital, building a new palace, extending and beautifying the city, and erecting inner and outer city walls that still stand. Sennacherib figures prominently in the Old Testament for his attack on Jerusalem. Pestilence prevented his attack on Egypt, which remained free until the reign of his son Esarhaddon. In 689 he conquered and devastated Babylon. He was also credited with building a temple at Athens.