Asshur: Asshur is both a person and a place in the biblical narrative. As a person, Asshur is identified as the second son of Shem, the son of Noah, according to Genesis 10:22: "The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram." Asshur is traditionally considered the progenitor of the Assyrian people, and his descendants are believed to have established the ancient Assyrian Empire.

Assyria: Assyria, named after Asshur, is a significant ancient Mesopotamian kingdom and empire, known for its powerful military and expansive conquests. It is frequently mentioned in the Bible, both as a formidable enemy of Israel and Judah and as an instrument of God's judgment.

Geography and Capital: Assyria was located in the northern part of Mesopotamia, with its heartland in what is now northern Iraq. The capital city of Assyria was Nineveh, a city that plays a prominent role in the biblical narrative, especially in the Book of Jonah. Jonah 1:2 states, "Arise, go to the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me."

Historical Context: Assyria rose to prominence in the 14th century BC and became a dominant empire in the Near East. It reached its zenith during the 8th and 7th centuries BC under kings such as Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, and Ashurbanipal. The Assyrian Empire is known for its advanced military strategies, architectural achievements, and the establishment of one of the world's first libraries in Nineveh.

Biblical Significance: Assyria is often depicted as an adversary of the Israelites. The Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, leading to the exile of the ten tribes, as recorded in 2 Kings 17:6 : "In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in the towns of the Medes."

The Assyrian threat also loomed over the Southern Kingdom of Judah. King Sennacherib's invasion during the reign of King Hezekiah is a notable event, where God miraculously delivered Jerusalem from the Assyrian army, as described in 2 Kings 19:35 : "And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!"

Prophetic Role: The prophets of Israel often spoke of Assyria as an instrument of divine judgment. Isaiah 10:5-6 declares, "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to seize the spoil and snatch the plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets."

Despite its role as a tool of judgment, Assyria itself was not exempt from divine retribution. The prophet Nahum prophesied the fall of Nineveh, which occurred in 612 BC, marking the end of the Assyrian Empire. Nahum 3:7 states, "Then all who see you will flee from you, saying, 'Nineveh is devastated; who will mourn for her?' Where can I find anyone to comfort you?"

Legacy: The Assyrian Empire's legacy is one of both terror and cultural advancement. Its interactions with Israel and Judah are pivotal in understanding the historical and theological context of the Old Testament. The rise and fall of Assyria serve as a testament to the sovereignty of God over the nations, as He uses and judges them according to His divine purposes.Asshur Assyria

was a great and powerful country lying on the Tigris, (Genesis 2:14) the capital of which was Nineveh. (Genesis 10:11) etc. It derived its name apparently from Asshur, the son of Shem, (Genesis 10:22) who in later times was worshipped by the Assyrians as their chief god.

1. Extent. -- The boundaries of Assyria differed greatly at different periods, Probably in the earliest times it was confined to a small tract of low country lying chiefly on the left bank of the Tigris. Gradually its limits were extended, until it came to be regarded as comprising the whole region between the Armenian mountains (lat. 37 30?) upon the north, and upon the south the country about Baghdad (lat. 33 30?). Eastward its boundary was the high range of Zagros, or mountains of Kurdistan; westward it was, according to the views of some, bounded by the Mesopotamian desert, while according to others it reached the Euphrates.
2. General character of the country. -- On the north and east the high mountain-chains of Armenia and Kurdistan are succeeded by low ranges of limestone hills of a somewhat arid aspect. To these ridges there succeeds at first an undulating zone of country, well watered and fairly productive, which extends in length for 250 miles, and is interrupted only by a single limestone range. Above and below this barrier is an immense level tract, now for the most part a wilderness, which bears marks of having been in early times well cultivated and thickly peopled throughout.
3. Original peopling. --Scripture informs us that Assyria was peopled from Babylon, (Genesis 10:11) and both classical tradition and the monuments of the country agree in this representation.
4. Date of the foundation of the kingdom. --As a country, Assyria was evidently known to Moses. (Genesis 2:14; 25:18; Numbers 24:22,24) The foundation of the Assyrian empire was probably not very greatly anterior to B.C. 1228.
5. History. --The Mesopotamian researches have rendered it apparent that the original seat of government was not at Nineveh, but at Kileh-Sherghat, on the right bank of the Tigris. The most remarkable monarch of the earlier kings was called Tiglath-pileser. He appears to have been king towards the close of the twelfth century, and thus to have been contemporary with Samuel. Afterwards followed Pul, who invaded Israel in the reign of Menahem (2 Kings 15:29) about B.C. 770, and Shalmaneser who besieged Samaria three years, and destroyed the kingdom of Israel B.C. 721, himself or by his successor Sargon, who usurped the throne at that time. Under Sargon the empire was as great as at any former era, and Nineveh became a most beautiful city. Sargon's son Sennacherib became the most famous of the Assyrian kings. He began to reign 704 B.C. He invaded the kingdom of Judea in the reign of Hezekiah. He was followed by Esarhaddon, and he by a noted warrior and builder, Sardanapalus. In Scripture it is remarkable that we hear nothing of Assyria after the reign of Esarhaddon, and profane history is equally silent until the attacks began which brought about her downfall. The fall of Assyria, long previously prophesied by Isaiah, (Isaiah 10:5-19) was effected by the growing strength and boldness of the Medes, about 625 B.C. The prophecies of Nahum and Zephaniah (Zephaniah 2:13-15) against Assyria were probably delivered shortly before the catastrophe.
6. General character of the empire. -- The Assyrian monarchs bore sway over a number of petty kings through the entire extent of their dominions. These native princes were feudatories of the great monarch, of whom they held their crown by the double tenure of homage and tribute. It is not quite certain how far Assyria required a religious conformity from the subject people. Her religion was a gross and complex polytheism, comprising the worship of thirteen principal and numerous minor divinities, at the head of all of whom stood the chief god, Asshur, who seems to be the deified patriarch of the nation. (Genesis 10:22)
7. Civilization of the Assyrians. -- The civilization of the Assyrians was derived originally from the Babylonians. They were a Shemitic race originally resident in Babylonia (which at that time was Cushite) and thus acquainted with the Babylonian inventions and discoveries, who ascended the valley of the Tigris and established in the tract immediately below the Armenian mountains a separate and distinct nationality. Still, as their civilization developed it became in many respects peculiar. Their art is of home growth. But they were still in the most important points barbarians. Their government was rude and inartificial, their religion coarse and sensual, and their conduct of war cruel.
8. Modern discoveries in Assyria. -- (Much interest has been excited in reference to Assyria by the discoveries lately made there, which confirm and illustrate the Bible. The most important of them is the finding of the stone tablets or books which formed the great library at Nineveh, founded by Shalmaneser B.C. 860, but embodying tablets written 2000 years B.C. This library was more than doubled by Sardanapalus. These tablets were broken into fragments, but many of them have been put together and deciphered by the late Mr. George Smith, of the British Museum. All these discoveries of things hidden for ages, but now come to light, confirm the Bible.--ED.)

804b. Ashshur -- the second son of Shem, also the people of Asshur ...
... NASB Word Usage Asshur (5), Assyria (132), Assyrian (5), Assyrians (6), Assyrians*
(3). 804a, 804b. Ashshur. 805 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/804b.htm - 5k

804. Ashshuwr -- step, going
... 803, 804. Ashshuwr. 804a . step, going. Transliteration: Ashshuwr Phonetic
Spelling: (ash-shoor') Short Definition: Asshur. Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians ...
/hebrew/804.htm - 5k

Chapter x
... "Asshur," used in the Bible sometimes for the personal ancestor, sometimes for the
people, sometimes for the land, is Assyria, called Asshur by the old ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

The Old Testament and Archeology
... were begun and, like those of Babylon, are still continued, on the mound covering
the site of the ancient capital city of Assyria, Asshur, where inscriptions ...
/.../the christian view of the old testament/chapter iv the old testament.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... from the Assyrians, and at another time to Assyria to assist them against Egypt.
The position is rather thus: The people, heavily oppressed by Asshur, at one ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm

The Joyous Return
... the people, or if any other nation oppressed them, they sent a present to the King
of Assyria to come and deliver them. But now they cry, "Asshur shall not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/the joyous return.htm

A Living Book
... Illustration: (drop cap T) Symbol of "Asshur", the principal ... Almost all the Old
Testament prophets cried out against the wickedness of Assyria and Babylon, and ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/duff/the bible in its making/chapter i a living book.htm

The History after the Flood.
... From these came Asshur, from whom also the Assyrians receive their name. ... There were
these kings of Assyria: Tiglath-Pileser, and after him Shalmaneser, then ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xxxi the history after the.htm

Israel Returning
... us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.3. Asshur shall not ... i.9),
had found mercy, would no longer feel temptation to turn to Assyria for help ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/israel returning.htm

His Earliest Oracles. (ii. 2-iv. 4. )
... Or what is to thee the road to Asshur, 18 To drink of the River? ... the nation's trust
in heathen powers and silly oscillation between Egypt and Assyria; on the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 his earliest oracles ii.htm

The Old Testament and Comparative Religion
... Ur, of Sin; Sippara, of Shamash; Cuthah, of Nergal; Asshur, of Ashur ... Archaeology
has revealed the pantheon of Babylonia and Assyria; the inscriptions have also ...
/.../eiselen/the christian view of the old testament/chapter v the old testament.htm

And ii.
... Like as My servant Isaiah walketh naked and barefoot three years, for a sign and
wonder upon Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

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