The term "Assyrian" refers to the people, culture, and empire associated with Assyria, an ancient Mesopotamian kingdom and empire that played a significant role in the history of the Near East and the biblical narrative. The Assyrians are frequently mentioned in the Bible, particularly in the context of their interactions with the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Historical Background

Assyria was located in the northern part of Mesopotamia, with its heartland in what is now modern-day northern Iraq. The Assyrian Empire reached its height between the 9th and 7th centuries BC, becoming one of the most powerful empires of the ancient world. Its capital cities included Assur, Nineveh, and later, Calah (Nimrud).

Biblical References

The Assyrians are prominently featured in the Old Testament, where they are often depicted as instruments of God's judgment against the Israelites due to their disobedience and idolatry. The prophets frequently warned Israel and Judah of the impending Assyrian threat.

1. Assyrian Conquest of Israel: The Assyrians are most notably recognized for their conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel. In 2 Kings 17:6 , it is recorded: "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 cities of the Medes." This event marked the end of the northern kingdom and the beginning of the Assyrian captivity.

2. Threat to Judah: The Assyrians also posed a significant threat to the southern kingdom of Judah. During the reign of King Hezekiah, the Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem. In 2 Kings 19:35 , it is recounted how God delivered Jerusalem: "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!"

3. Prophetic Warnings and Judgments: The prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah, among others, spoke extensively about Assyria. Isaiah 10:5-6 describes Assyria as the rod of God's anger: "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 to plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets."

4. Nineveh's Repentance: The book of Jonah provides a unique narrative where the prophet Jonah is sent to the Assyrian city of Nineveh to call for repentance. Jonah 3:5 states: "And the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least."

Cultural and Religious Influence

The Assyrians were known for their military prowess, advanced engineering, and architectural achievements, including the construction of grand palaces and the extensive use of cuneiform writing. Their religious practices were polytheistic, centered around gods such as Ashur, the chief deity, and Ishtar, the goddess of love and war.

Legacy

The fall of the Assyrian Empire came in 612 BC with the destruction of Nineveh by a coalition of Babylonians, Medes, and others. Despite their eventual downfall, the Assyrians left a lasting impact on the region's history and are remembered in the biblical narrative as both a formidable adversary and a tool used by God to fulfill His purposes.1. (a.) Of or pertaining to Assyria, or to its inhabitants.

2. (n.) A native or an inhabitant of Assyria; the language of Assyria.

ASSYRIAN AND BABYLONIAN LIBRARIES

See NINEVEH, LIBRARY OF.

6322. Pul -- an Assyrian king
... Pul. 6323 . an Assyrian king. Transliteration: Pul Phonetic Spelling: (pool) Short
Definition: Pul. ... Pul, the name of an Assyrian king and of an Ethiopian tribe ...
/hebrew/6322.htm - 6k

620. Asenappar -- an Assyrian king
... 619, 620. Asenappar. 621 . an Assyrian king. Transliteration: Asenappar
Phonetic Spelling: (os-nap-par') Short Definition: Osnappar. ...
/hebrew/620.htm - 5k

634. Esarchaddon -- "Ashur has given a brother," an Assyrian king
... "Ashur has given a brother," an Assyrian king. Transliteration: Esarchaddon Phonetic
Spelling: (ay-sar' Chad-dohn') Short Definition: Esarhaddon. ...
/hebrew/634.htm - 6k

3377. Yareb -- "let him contend," the name of an Assyrian king
... 3376, 3377. Yareb. 3378 . "let him contend," the name of an Assyrian king.
Transliteration: Yareb Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-rabe') Short Definition: Jareb. ...
/hebrew/3377.htm - 6k

8407. Tiglath Pileser -- an Assyrian king
... Tiglath Pileser. 8408 . an Assyrian king. Transliteration: Tiglath Pileser Phonetic
Spelling: (tig-lath' pil-eh'-ser) Short Definition: Tiglath-pileser. ...
/hebrew/8407.htm - 6k

5623. Sargon -- a king of Assyr.
... NASB Word Usage Sargon (1). Sargon. Of foreign derivation; Sargon, an Assyrian king --
Sargon. 5622, 5623. Sargon. 5624 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/5623.htm - 5k

3638. Kilmad -- a place of unc. location
... location NASB Word Usage Chilmad (1). Chilmad. Of foreign derivation; Kilmad, a
place apparently in the Assyrian empire -- Chilmad. 3637, 3638. Kilmad. 3639 ...
/hebrew/3638.htm - 5k

152. Adrammelek -- "Adar is prince," an Assyr. idol, also a son of ...
... Adrammelech. From 'adar and melek; splendor of (the) king; Adrammelek, the name
of an Assyrian idol, also of a son of Sennacherib -- Adrammelech. ...
/hebrew/152.htm - 6k

671. Apharckay -- official
... fapharcathkay (Aramaic) {af-ar-sath-kah'ee}; of foreign origin (only in the plural);
an Apharsekite or Apharsathkite, an unknown Assyrian tribe -- Apharsachites ...
/hebrew/671.htm - 5k

7024. Qiyr -- "wall," a city in Moab
... Kir The same as qiyr; fortress; Kir, a place in Assyrian; also one in Moab -- Kir.
Compare Qiyr Cheres. see HEBREW qiyr. see HEBREW Qiyr Cheres. 7023, 7024. ...
/hebrew/7024.htm - 5k

The Assyrian
... Names And Titles of the Antichrist 13. The Assyrian. "O Assyrian, the rod of
Mine anger, and the staff in their hand in Mine indignation ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/13 the assyrian.htm

The Assyrian Captivity
... Prophets of the Northern Kingdom Chapter 23 The Assyrian Captivity. The closing
years of the ill-fated kingdom of Israel were marked ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 23 the assyrian captivity.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... CHAPTER I"THE ASSYRIAN REVIVAL AND THE STRUGGLE FOR SYRIA. Assur ... animal.
[Illustration: 009.jpg AN ASSYRIAN HORSEMAN ARMED WITH THE SWORD]. ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
... CHAPTER II"THE RISE OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE. PHOENICIA AND THE NORTHERN NATIONS
AFTER THE DEATH OP RAMSES III.--- THE FIRST ASSYRIAN ...
/.../chapter iithe rise of the.htm

That Rome was Founded when the Assyrian Kingdom Perished, at which ...
... Book XVIII. Chapter 22."That Rome Was Founded When the Assyrian Kingdom
Perished, at Which Time Hezekiah Reigned in Judah. To ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 22 that rome was founded.htm

The Destruction of the Sodomites by the Assyrian Wall.
... Three Years. From The Creation To The Death Of Isaac. CHAPTER 9. The
Destruction Of The Sodomites By The Assyrian Wall. At this ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 the destruction of.htm

Of the Three Most Famous Kingdoms of the Nations, of which One ...
... Book XVI. Chapter 17."Of the Three Most Famous Kingdoms of the Nations, of Which
One, that is the Assyrian, Was Already Very Eminent When Abraham Was Born. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 17 of the three most.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... CHAPTER II"TIGLATH-PILESER III. AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE FROM
745 TO 722 BC. ... AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE FROM 745 to 722 BC ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7
... THE ASSYRIAN REVIVAL AND THE STRUGGLE FOR SYRIA. ... The line of Assyrian kings after
Assurirba, and the Babylonian dynasties: the war between Ramman-nirari III. ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 7/title page.htm

England's Strength
... You heard then how this great Assyrian conqueror, Sennacherib, after taking all
the fortified towns of Judah, and sweeping the whole country with fire and sword ...
/.../kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon xiv englands strength.htm

Assyrian (18 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ASSYRIAN AND BABYLONIAN LIBRARIES. See NINEVEH,
LIBRARY OF. Multi-Version Concordance Assyrian (18 Occurrences). ...
/a/assyrian.htm - 12k

Carchemish (3 Occurrences)
... The Assyrian form of the name is Kargamis or Gargamis, but its meaning is doubtful,
the interpretation "Fort of the god Chemosh" having been suggested before ...
/c/carchemish.htm - 13k

Tirhakah (2 Occurrences)
... The Assyrian armies under Esarhaddon, and again under Assur-bani-pal, invaded Egypt
and defeated Tirhakah, who afterwards retired into Ethiopia, where he died ...
/t/tirhakah.htm - 11k

Ashurbanipal (1 Occurrence)
... His sister's son Tanut-Amon (Tandami) then took up the cause, and after the departure
of the Assyrian army he advanced against the Assyrian vassal governors. ...
/a/ashurbanipal.htm - 12k

Sennacherib (13 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 22, 24, 29, and 2 Chronicles 32:1-8). His own account of this invasion, as
given in the Assyrian annals, is in these words: "Because Hezekiah, king of ...
/s/sennacherib.htm - 18k

Jareb (2 Occurrences)
... ja'-reb, jar'-eb (yarebh, "let him contend"; Septuagint Iareim): 1. Obscurity of
the Name: Is mentioned twice in Hosea (5:13; 10:6) as an Assyrian king who ...
/j/jareb.htm - 10k

Aramaic (12 Occurrences)
... Further, it shows that Aramaic was the ordinary language of Assyrian diplomacy. ...
To the end, Assyrian was largely ideographic and hieroglyphic. ...
/a/aramaic.htm - 31k

Tiglath (3 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Tiglath-Pileser I. (not mentioned in Scripture) was the
most famous of the monarchs of the first Assyrian empire (about BC 1110). ...
/t/tiglath.htm - 9k

Pileser (3 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Tiglath-Pileser I. (not mentioned in Scripture) was the
most famous of the monarchs of the first Assyrian empire (about BC 1110). ...
/p/pileser.htm - 9k

Sargon (1 Occurrence)
... the god] has appointed the king; also "Sarru-kinu, " the legitimate king.) On the
death of Shalmaneser (BC 723), one of the Assyrian generals established ...
/s/sargon.htm - 10k

Who were the Assyrians in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Assyria in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz? | GotQuestions.org

Assyrian: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus