Curated set · answers marked
Which of the following best describes the main event portrayed in "The Destruction of Sennacherib" by Lord Byron?
AThe Assyrian army takes Jerusalem after a long siege
BAn angel miraculously strikes down the Assyrian army overnight, causing them to retreat✓
CKing Sennacherib makes a peace treaty with the Israelites
DA massive flood wipes out the Assyrian camp as divine punishment
Rationale
In the poem, Byron depicts how the Assyrian army, under Sennacherib's command, descends upon the Israelites "like the wolf on the fold," but overnight, the Angel of Death visits the camp, killing the soldiers. By morning, the army is devastated, forcing Sennacherib to retreat — this is a retelling of the biblical story found in 2 Kings 19.
Which of the following options best captures the main event described in Byron's poem "The Destruction of Sennacherib"?
AThe Assyrian army takes Jerusalem after a lengthy siege.
BThe Assyrian army is struck down overnight in a miraculous event, compelling their retreat.✓
CThe Israelite army defeats the Assyrians in an open battle at dawn.
DKing Sennacherib negotiates a peace treaty with the people of Jerusalem.
Rationale
Byron's poem brings to life the biblical story from 2 Kings 19, where the Angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers during the night. By morning, Sennacherib's massive army lies dead, and he must retreat — a miraculous deliverance achieved without any human military action.