The Conquest Of Assyria

The Conquest of Assyria tells what must surely be one of the most romantic tales of archaeological endeavour. The great cities and ancient palaces of Mesopotamia had lain buried for over two millenia, and were all but forgotten, half remembered in the Hebrew Bible and Classical texts. This volume records the dramatic finds, the decipherment of the cuneiform system of writing and the rediscovery of a lost civilisation.

This is an examination, in 30 chapters, of all aspects of the ancient Assyrian empire and its relationship to "empire theory" and the study of empires in general, explicating Assyria as the first of the genuine empires. The discussion also examines how ancient empires contribute to our understanding, despite differences, of modern empires.

The Neo-Assyrian empire — the first large empire of the ancient world — has attracted a great deal of public attention ever since the spectacular discoveries of its impressive remains in the 19th century. The southwestern part of this empire, located in the lands of the Bible, is archaeologically speaking the best known region in the world, and its history is described in a plethora of texts, including the Hebrew Bible. Using a bottom-up approach, Avraham Faust utilises this unparalleled information to reconstruct the outcomes of the Assyrian conquest of the region and how it impacted the diverse political units and ecological zones that comprised it. In doing so, he draws close attention to the transformations the imperial take-over brought in its wake. His analysis reveals the marginality of the annexed territories in the southwest as the empire focused its activities in small border areas facing its prospering clients. A comparison of this surprising picture to the information available from other parts of the empire suggests that the distance of these provinces from the imperial core is responsible for their fate. This sheds new light on factors influencing imperial expansion, the considerations leading to annexation, and the imperial methods of control, challenging old conventions about the development of the Assyrian empire and its rule. Faust also examines the Assyrian empire within the broader context of ancient Near Eastern imperialism to answer larger questions on the nature of Assyrian domination, the reasons for its harsh treatment of the distant provinces, and the factors influencing the limits of its reach. His findings highlight the historical development of imperial control in antiquity and the ways in which later empires were able to overcome similar limitations, paving the way to much larger and longer-lasting polities.

Tudor Parfitt examines a myth which is based on one of the world's oldest mysteries - what happened to the lost tribes of Israel? Christians and Jews alike have attached great importance to the legendary fate of these tribes which has had a remarkable impact on their ideologies throughout history. Each tribe of Israel claimed descent from one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the land of Israel was eventually divided up between them. Following a schism which formed after the death of Solomon, ten of the tribes set up an independent northern kingdom, whilst those of Judah and Levi set up a separate southern kingdom. In 721BC the ten northern tribes were ethnically cleansed by the Assyrians and the Bible states they were placed: in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan and in the city of Medes. The Bible also foretold that one day they would be reunited with the southern tribes in the final redemption of the people of Israel. Their subsequent history became a tapestry of legend and hearsay. The belief persisted that they had been lost in some remote part of the world and there were countless suggestions and claims as to where.

This little-known story of biblical times is “one of those contingent moments in world history on which whole civilizations pivot” (The Globe and Mail, Toronto). At the turn of the eighth century BC, a mighty Assyrian army entered Judah and fought its way to the very gates of Jerusalem, poised, the prophet Isaiah warned, to “smash the city as easily as someone hurling a clay pot against the wall.” But the assault never came. Instead, the Assyrian army turned and fled, an event that has been called the Deliverance of Jerusalem. Whereas biblical accounts attribute the Assyrian retreat to divine intervention, this account offers an explanation that is miraculous in its own light: The siege was broken by the arrival of an army from Kushite Egypt—an army that is, made up of black Africans. These Kushites figured in historical texts, the author reveals, until the late nineteenth century—when racist scholars expunged them from the record, a process that coincided with the European conquest and colonization of Africa. The Kushite intervention assured the survival of the Hebrew people, and this book is a fresh and fascinating look at this chapter in biblical history and “a joy to read” (South Florida Sun-Sentinel).

Bringing together the research of internationally renowned scholars, Assyria to Iberia at the Dawn of the Classical Age contributes significantly to our understanding of the epoch-making artistic and cultural exchanges that took place across the Near East and Mediterranean in the early first millennium B.C. This was the world of Odysseus, in which seafaring Phoenician merchants charted new nautical trade routes and established prosperous trading posts and colonies on the shores of three continents; of kings Midas and Croesus, legendary for their wealth; and of the Hebrew Bible, whose stories are brought vividly to life by archaeological discoveries. Objects drawn from collections in the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and the United States, reproduced here in sumptuous detail, reflect the cultural encounters of diverse populations interacting through trade, travel, and migration as well as war and displacement. Together, they tell a compelling story of the origins and development of Western artistic traditions that trace their roots to the ancient Near East and across the Mediterranean world. Among the masterpieces brought together in this volume are stone reliefs that adorned the majestic palaces of ancient Assyria; expertly crafted Phonecian and Syrian bronzes and worked ivories that were stored in the treasuries of Assyria and deposited in tombs and sanctuaries in regions far to the west; and lavish personal adornments and other luxury goods, some imported and others inspired by Near Eastern craftsmanship. Accompanying texts by leading scholars position each object in cultural and historical context, weaving a narrative of crisis and conquest, worship and warfare, and epic and empire that spans both continents and millennia. Writing another chapter in the story begun in Art of the First Cities (2003) and Beyond Babylon (2008), Assyria to Iberia offers a comprehensive overview of art, diplomacy, and cultural exchange in an age of imperial and mercantile expansion in the ancient Near East and across the Mediterranean in the first millennium B.C.—the dawn of the Classical age.

How can we understand the remarkable success of the Assyrian Empire? This book provides an agent-centred explanation using archaeological data.

Explore the Intense History of the Assyrians. The ancient masters of war and conquest became the most powerful force in the Near East thousands of years ago. One of the first empires in world history. The Assyrians rose to power through the strength of its sophisticated military. The creation of the professional soldier, advanced iron weapons technology, and siege warfare tactics made the Assyrians the strongest fighting force in the ancient world. Babylonians, Israelites, Egyptians, and many others fell in battle to the might of the powerful Assyrians. It took more than the strongest military in the world to become the most dominant nation humanity had ever seen. The rise of Assyrian power was in large part due to the vision and ambition of several vicious warrior kings. Names like Tiglath-Pileser I, Sennacherib, Sargon II, and Ashurbanipal made the inhabitants of the region shudder in fear. The great Assyrian kings of the ancient world were worshipped by loyal subjects and feared by enemies. You will meet all the Assyrian kings who left an incredible mark behind and have been remembered for centuries. Take a journey back in time to ancient Mesopotamia to find out how the Assyrian civilization grew from a wealthy city-state to the largest empire known to man in the ancient world. Cities such as Ashur, Nineveh, and Nimrud were some of the most spectacular to behold with ziggurats soaring to the heavens. The architectural, literary, and scientific contributions by this breathtaking civilization rival other famous groups from this time period in history. Ever since the discovery of Ashurbanipal's mystical library in the 19th century, scholars have been fascinated by ancient Mesopotamian culture. Get your copy now! Find out what artifacts were unearthed and more to gain incredible insight into the rise and fall of this massive empire.