A biblical battering ram. A historical investigation...
The warriors of King Ashurbanipal (669–627 BCE) storm the city using a battering ram. Behind the ram, a tower of considerable height is visible, from which the Assyrians fire upon the warriors on the walls. The ram itself is depicted in detail, but understanding its construction and the coating on its frame is quite difficult. British Museum
…where the battering rams should be placed, the mouths should be opened for the slaughter, the voice should be raised for a war cry, the battering rams should be brought to the gates, a rampart should be built, siege towers should be erected.
Ezekiel 21: 22
Ezekiel 21: 22
History military equipment. The Bible mentions a wide variety of species. weapons and armor, used in "biblical times." There's also a mention of the battering ram—an ancient weapon, and not only ancient but also medieval, used to batter down city and fortress gates and breach walls. Interestingly, the warlike Egyptians never even thought of the battering ram, and took enemy fortresses either by storm, climbing the walls with ladders, or by attrition. That is, they cut down all the trees around the city and built a high fence from them, which they also patrolled. Deprived of food supplies, the besieged began to starve and eventually surrender. Sometimes these "tactical fences" were even given names. For example, one such fence was known as "Thutmose Catching the Asiatics."
Bas-relief image in graphics
Apparently, they had no problem with time. So they waited for the "ripe fruit" to fall at their feet. Their opponents, the Assyrians, apparently disliked this waiting and preferred to storm enemy cities. However, the Assyrians already used a certain "military technique," namely, battering rams, with which they destroyed the walls of enemy cities. That the Assyrians actually had battering rams is confirmed not only by the Bible, but also by the bas-reliefs with which the Assyrians so loved to decorate their royal palaces.
Model of a battering ram from a bas-relief
In particular, depictions of Assyrian battering rams can be seen on bas-reliefs from the 9th–7th centuries BC. This includes a bas-relief from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II (883–859 BC), which depicts a massive structure on six wheels, with a tall turret with loopholes for archers visible at the front. There is also an image of a very strange battering ram-cart on six wheels and a pointed nose. Such a cart was most likely used when the road to the gates of an enemy city was on a slope. Then it would be loaded with stones and… pushed down the slope toward the gate, where it would accelerate and… strike it with all its might. There is also a bas-relief from the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III (8th century BC), which depicts several battering rams.
It is known that it was during the reign of Tiglath-Pileser I (1115-1076 BC) that Assyria became the most militarily powerful state in the Middle East. However, even earlier, during the reign of King Shamshi-Adad I (1813-1781 BC), Assyria, which at that time was the city-state of Ashur, achieved a power in no way inferior to that of the Babylonian Empire. However, the sons of Shamshi-Adad I were unable to maintain the independence of their state and were forced to recognize Babylonian authority in 1757 BC.
However, what's most important for us is that documents describing sieges of that time have survived from the reign of one of them, Ishme-Dagan I (1797–1757 BC). Dating back to the 18th century BC, they were found in the city of Mari, located on the upper Euphrates River. These are the first written sources from that period to describe battering rams, siege towers, and the earthen ramparts used to roll them up to the walls. It states directly: "...I ... besieged [the city] of Hurara. I directed siege towers and battering rams against it, and on the seventh day I captured it. Be content!"
The second document reports the use of undermining: "As soon as I approached the city of Kirhadat, I erected siege towers. By undermining, I caused the walls to collapse. On the eighth day, I captured the city of Kirhadat. Rejoice." Most likely, Ishme-Dagan I learned such siege warfare techniques from his father, Shamshi-Adad I, who lived for a time in Babylon and would have been familiar with Babylonian siegecraft. However, since this is nothing more than a cuneiform text, it is impossible to determine what these "war machines" actually looked like.
Nothing more than an attempt to show an Assyrian battering ram in action. Illustration by Angus McBride.
Therefore, we have to turn to Assyrian bas-reliefs from the 9th–7th centuries BC depicting sieges and their siege equipment. The battering ram itself is a simple and straightforward weapon: a frame of logs on wheels, with a heavy log swinging inside on chains or ropes.
Interestingly, Assyrian battering rams of the 9th century, judging by bas-reliefs from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC), were quite massive structures on six wheels. Their wooden frame was approximately 5 meters long and 2-3 meters high. At its front was a small tower, approximately three meters high, culminating in a hemispherical roof or parapet and featuring loopholes for archers. To protect against incendiary arrows and burning resin, these battering rams were covered in wet hides.
The battering ram itself was a log with a flat metal tip, suspended by ropes from the roof of the frame and swung like a pendulum. Why was the tip so oddly shaped? Most likely, it was convenient for striking the joints between the stone slabs of the wall, thus loosening the masonry. The turret clearly served as cover fire, with shooters from it intended to drive defenders off the wall so they couldn't interfere with the battering ram's work.
Reconstruction of the external appearance of A. Sheps's ram
The weight of such battering rams was undoubtedly considerable. It is believed that they had poles at the rear to which draft animals were tethered for propulsion. Later, Assyrian kings preferred to sacrifice weight for mobility. As early as the reign of Shalmaneser III (858–824 BC), the battering ram was lightened and mounted on only four wheels.
Judging by the depiction on the Gate of Shalmaneser III (Fig. 3), there was a model without a battering ram at all, in the form of a cart with a pointed prow resembling a bull's head. The cart was likely loaded with stones or earth and, with acceleration, driven into a wall or gate. Archers were positioned behind the cart, providing covering fire for the ram's actions. Several archers can also be seen in the cart itself. However, this ram design was clearly weaker than the pendulum-type with a battering ram and therefore quickly fell out of use—since then, depictions of such rams have disappeared.
Sargon II (Sharrumken II, 722–705 BC) began using battering rams not individually, but in groups, working together to hammer a section of a wall, which significantly increased their effectiveness. Under King Sennacherib (Sinacheribe, 705–681 BC), battering rams began to be made disassemblable, allowing them to be easily transported in a supply train and then quickly assembled and used.
The ram of Tiglath-Pileser III. It has fewer spoked wheels, meaning the ram itself is lighter. Judging by the fringes and "plates" on the ram's body, it is covered with a distinctive leather blanket, perhaps soaked in water before battle. There is no archer's tower, but something resembling an observation tower for the "ram commander" is present. There are two striking beams, which is quite typical for Assyrian rams. They may have been fastened together inside the ram to form a kind of "fork." The ram's action is supported by archers in long armored robes, who "work" in tandem with shieldbearers carrying large, curved shields. Prisoners are immediately impaled on stakes for intimidation. British Museum
The battering ram was used in the following manner: in the first case, it was driven up to the gate and struck. However, the gates were often located deep within the gateway, and were also protected by two towers on either side, making the ram's impact difficult. The second required the construction of an earthen embankment so that the ram could drive directly up to the wall, specifically the upper portion, which was thinner and weaker than the base. For example, during excavations at the site of the Judean city of Lachish, which was stormed by the Assyrians, it was discovered that the embankment they had built along the city walls had a slope of approximately 30°.
Looking at the bas-relief, we realize that the city's defenders are clearly trying to fight the battering ram. Using chains with hooks, they grab the head of the log and pull it upward. The Assyrians, in turn, devised a countermeasure: their warriors would grab these chains with iron hooks and hang on to them with their body weight to free it. To prevent the enemy from setting the battering ram on fire, they often covered it with wet animal skins, although this wasn't always effective. One of the bas-reliefs clearly shows the crew from the battering ram's turret pouring water on it from a long pipe, while another depicts a warrior extinguishing his own fire by pouring water on it with a long spoon.
Bas-relief on the Balawat Gate of Shalmaneser III (9th century BC). Assyrians storm the city. The besieged have managed to grab the battering ram with chains and are pulling its beam upward, while Assyrian soldiers with their hooks are trying to counteract this and pull it back. Most likely, the besieged also set the ram on fire, as soldiers from the turret are pouring water on it from above. British Museum
Another battering ram with a double "log." The ram itself is on a siege platform. Enemy archers are returning fire. Headless corpses lie at the foot of the city walls. British Museum
Overall, despite the significant number of depictions, we can only guess at the construction of Assyrian battering rams. Were their walls covered with woven "squares" of twigs, or were they boards laid on a slatted surface? It seems that wickerwork is dangerous to use, as the thin twigs easily catch fire. But then why are the ram's walls depicted in such relief? Or, for example, what would such a ram look like from the front? And if it depicts open doors (a relief from Ashurbanipal's palace), why are they of such an odd shape?
In short, all these bas-reliefs offer a great deal of scope for imagination. So why not create a model of such a battering ram as a visual aid for Ancient World history lessons in school?
The model is very simple, by the way, and easy to make. We can use A. Sheps's reconstruction as a basis, as it's the simplest. You can see all the main parts of the ram in our photograph, and they're shown from the back, that is, from the inside.
Details of the Assyrian battering ram model. View from the inside. The rear wall of the turret and the roof are missing. They should be laid last. Photo by the author.
All the main parts of the ram's hull are clearly visible in our photograph. The photo needs to be enlarged, printed, the paper parts cut out, and coffee stirrer sticks glued to the paper, as we've done many times before. Then, they're trimmed to the contours, the edges sanded, and then "beams"—three sticks glued together—are glued around the inside perimeter. These are needed to give our product the necessary strength. A hatch needs to be cut in the upper platform for access to the turret, and three 3mm diameter holes need to be drilled in the "lower beams" for the wheel axles.
While the parts are drying, it's time to make the wheels. Leonardo's has wooden disks for doll joints. We'll use these. Glue the disks together in pairs, widening the holes in the center to three millimeters. You can also glue strips of thick paper around the perimeter and paint them to look like metal. The battering ram itself is the handle of a worn-out paintbrush, and its crescent-shaped tip is simply cut from a lamella of the appropriate thickness and filed down to a sharp point! It's unlikely to have been made of iron, as this metal was expensive and scarce at the time, so it needs to be painted bronze.
Details of the Assyrian battering ram model. View from the outside. Photo by the author.
A battle tower for archers. Photo by the author.
The archer's turret is based on two 30mm diameter doll joint disks, glued together with a skewer. The resulting cylinder is 40mm high. A hatch leading to the under-turret compartment is pre-cut in the lower disk. The boards that cover the turret are imitated by 4mm wide strips of AB-model veneer. They adhere easily with PVA glue. The hemispherical roof is half a wooden ball of a suitable diameter, also from Leonardo. It should be painted copper or bronze.
The glued-together hull of the ram, missing the rear turret wall and roof. Photo by the author.
A view of the glued-together ram's hull before final assembly and painting. Photo by the author.
The most interesting part is the final finishing of the glued ram's body. Since its depiction on the bas-relief allows for all sorts of speculation, the simplest finishing option would be to cover it with strips of bronze-painted paper. In real life, these strips could easily have been used to secure the planks on the outside, but for our ram, they will give it a much more striking appearance. The ram's axe-shaped "beater" will also need to be painted bronze and attached to a brush shaft. The design of the Assyrian ram itself immediately becomes clear: its log was secured inside the turret and swung like a pendulum, striking the brickwork at the very top of the wall, which was the thinnest and most fragile.
We cut these 2mm-wide strips, paint them bronze, and glue them according to the pattern, first lengthwise and then crosswise. Or first crosswise and then lengthwise—it doesn't really matter. Essentially, the ram model is ready. All that remains is to place it on a beautiful stand—a podium. In our case, we had a 5mm-thick polystyrene disc on hand. A layer of earth was imitated on it using a mixture of plaster of Paris, PVA glue, and acrylic paint. Then, with some glue, we sprinkled it with "grass" from model kits, plus some small pebbles for decoration.
The finished ram model on a podium stand. Top view. Photo by the author.
The finished model on a podium stand. Front view. Photo by the author.
It's known that battering rams were covered with freshly flayed animal skins, either fur-side-in or fur-side-out, to protect them from fire, while being doused with water. These can also be made by carefully cutting them out of thin faux suede and painting them. However, you'll need to make not just a lot of them, but a great many, and cutting them out isn't easy. Moreover, they'll cover the entire body of the ram, and... no one will see your work afterwards. A ram covered in skins can easily be glued together from cardboard, as its base won't be visible anyway. Therefore, it's best not to sculpt them onto this bas-relief ram.
Suede skins. Photo by the author.
In conclusion, it's worth noting that miniature figurines of Assyrian warriors—foot soldiers and cavalry—are now available for purchase at a scale of 1:72. These can be purchased, painted, and displayed alongside this battering ram, thus creating a beautiful and truly lifelike historical diorama. A polystyrene model of the battering ram is also available in the same scale. However, it's produced in a sanded version, so it doesn't look nearly as impressive as our model.
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