Now, we're not talking about a few stray soldiers. We're talking biblical proportions. Ginzberg, in his Legends of the Jews, paints a picture of an army unmatched in history, rivaled only by the forces Abraham faced, or the future armies of Gog and Magog in messianic times. Think about that for a moment.
How big are we talking? Well, over two and a half million horsemen strong. And that's just the beginning. Forty-five thousand princes in chariots, each surrounded by their... well, let's just say companions. Eighty thousand soldiers in full armor. Sixty thousand swordsmen. It’s hard to even fathom.
The sheer scale of it is staggering. This wasn't just an army; it was a mobile city. The camp stretched for four hundred parasangs – an ancient unit of distance, roughly equivalent to a league or a few miles, depending on who you ask. And the animals? A solid line of saddle-beasts, neck to neck, stretching forty parasangs long. Forty! You could walk for days and still be passing Sennacherib’s horses.
The army was even divided into four divisions, just to keep things organized, I guess. And here’s the kicker: the first division, according to the legend, nearly emptied the Jordan River just by quenching their thirst! Can you imagine? The second division had to drink from the puddles left by the horses. The third division had to dig for water. And by the time the fourth division arrived, they were just kicking up dust.
It's a vivid image, isn't it? This unstoppable force, descending upon Hezekiah's kingdom. It makes you wonder, how could anyone possibly stand against that? What hope could there be in the face of such overwhelming power?
Of course, that's where the story gets even more interesting. But that's a tale for another time. What this image leaves us with is the question of how we face seemingly impossible odds. What do we do when we feel hopelessly outnumbered, outmatched, and outgunned? Perhaps the story of Hezekiah, and the fate of Sennacherib's massive army, can offer some clues.