The Assyrian Captivity
Assyria was a kingdom located between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers that dominated the ancient world from the
ninth century to the seventh century B. C. Its capital was
Nineveh. In stature the Assyrians were of average modern
European height, and were powerfully built. Their
complexion was dark, the nose prominent, the hair,
eyebrows, and beard thick and bushy. They rarely
intermarried with neighboring peoples.
The early inhabitants of Assyria were ancient tribesmen
(Gen. 10:22) who probably migrated from Babylonia. They
grew powerful enough around 1300 B. C. to conquer
Babylonia. For the next 700 years they were the leading
power in the ancient world, with their leading rival
nation, Babylon, constantly challenging them for this
position.
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It was the Assyrians that destroyed the northern kingdom
Israel under Shalmaneser IV who besieged Samaria and then
died during the siege leaving Sargon II to finish the task
and drag Israel into captivity. After defeating the
northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B. C., the Assyrians
carried away thousands of Israelites and resettled them in
other parts of the Assyrian Empire. This was a blow from
which the nation of Israel never recovered. The ten tribes
that were taken to Assyria became the ten lost tribes, for
they have never again emerged in world history.
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Assyrian policy was to deport conquered peoples to other
lands within the empire, to destroy their sense of
nationalism, and break any pride or hope of rebellion and
replace them with strangers from far away.
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Assyrians were great warriors. Most nations at that time
period were looters, building their state by robbing other
nations. Assyria was the most ferocious of them all. Their
very name became a byword for cruelty and atrocity. They
skinned their prisoners alive, and cut off various body
parts to inspire terror in their enemies. There are records
of Assyrian officials pulling out tongues and displaying
mounds of human skulls all to bring about stark horror and
wealthy tribute from surrounding nations. Nowhere are the
pages of history more bloody than in the records of their
wars.
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Assyria was a world empire for about 300 years under
several warrior kings some of which wielded Assyria into
the best fighting machine of the ancient world. Finally the
brutal empire fell in 607 B.C. giving way to the
Babylonians.
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The religion of the Assyrians, much like that of the
Babylonians, emphasized worship of nature. They believed
every object of nature was possessed by a spirit. The chief
god was Asshur. All other primary gods whom they worshiped
were related to the objects of nature. These included Anu,
god of the heavens; Bel, god of the region inhabited by
man, beasts, and birds; Ea, god of the waters; Sin, the
moon-god; Shamash, the sun-god; and Ramman, god of the
storms. These gods were followed by five gods of the
planets. In addition to these primary gods, lesser gods
also were worshiped. In some cases, various cities had
their own patron gods. The pagan worship of the Assyrians
was vehemently condemned by several prophets of the Old
Testament (Is. 10:5; Ezek. 16:28; Hos. 8.9)
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Assur-nasipal II (885-860 B.C.)
Shalmaneser II (860-825 B.C.)
Shansi-adad (825-808 B.C.)
Adad-nirari (808-783 B.C.)
Shalmaneser III (783-771 B.C.)
Assur-dayan (771-753 B.C.)
Assur-lush (753-747 B.C.)
Tiglath-pileser III (Pul) (747-727 B.C.)
Shalmaneser IV (727-722 B.C.)
Sargon II (722-705 B.C.)
Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.)
Esar-haddon (681-668 B.C.)
Assur-banipal (668-626 B.C.)
Assur-etil-ilani (626-607 B.C.)
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