King Sennacherib of Assyria ruled from 705 to 681 BC. Hezekiah, like many other kings under Assyrian control, declared his independence when Sennacherib became king during a difficult time. By 701 BC, Sennacherib was ready to punish Hezekiah. Sennacherib claimed he conquered 46 fortified cities and many villages, taking 200,146 captives. Hezekiah tried to appease Sennacherib (see 2 Kings 18:14–16), but it was too late.