Tag: Assyria

Nergal Gate - history location of the Nergal Gate The Nergal Gate is located in the western part of the northern section of the Nineveh city wall (see the city map at the left). The gate was built by King Sennacherib around 700 BCE as one of between 15 and 18 gates he built around his new administra...

Iraq: Khorsabad, Nabu Temple Neo-Assyrian Period Reign of Sargon II, 721-705 B.C. Gypsum (?) 151.2 cm H, 45.3 cm W Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1932-33 OIM A11808 and OIM A11809 These two statues once flanked a doorway leading into the temple of Nabu, the god of writing and of knowledge. N...

Iraq: Khorsabad, Palace, Court VIII Neo-Assyrian Period Reign of Sargon II, 721-705 B.C. Gypsum 308.0 cm H, 249.7 cm W Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1928-9 OIM A7366 This relief comes from a wall just outside the throne room of Sargon II's palace. Two court officials - who are beardless and...

Iraq: Khorsabad, Palace, Court VIII Neo-Assyrian Period Reign of Sargon II, 721-705 B.C. Gypsum (?) 495.3 cm H, 491.4 cm W Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1929 OIM A7369 This colossal sculpture was one of a pair that guarded the entrance to the throne room of King Sargon II. A protective spir...

Adab - One of the earliest Sumerian cities. Adad - The mesopotamian Weather God. He was the son of Anu and was derived from an earlier Sumerian God, Iskur. Agade - Mesopotamian City. It was the seat of government for Sargon the Great. Akkad - The northern part of Mesopotamia. Sumer was the southern ...

Iraq: Khorsabad, Palace, Throneroom Debris Neo-Assyrian Period Reign of Sargon II, 721-705 B.C. Gypsum 43.0 cm H, 119.5 cm W Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1930 OIM A11258 Archaeologists from the Oriental Institute discovered this relief fragment in the debris of the throne room of King Sarg...

Iraq: Nimrud, N.W. Palace, Room G Neo-Assyrian Period Reign of Ashurnasirpal II, ca. 883-859 B.C. Gypsum (?) 61.2 cm H, 58.0 cm W Exchange with the British Museum, 1974 OIM A34979 Room G in Ashurnasirpal II's palace may have served as the setting for a ritual by which weapons were purified. The wa...

The Bible mentions many cities that have since been lost, such as Sodom and Gomorrah. It also mentions ancient empires, such as Babylon and Assyria, that have long since disappeared. These references have led scholars to explore the Bible's connections to these ancient civilizations. They have stud...

Iraq: Khorsabad, Shamash Temple Neo-Assyrian Period Reign of Sargon II, 721-705 B.C. Bronze 61.0 cm H Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1931-2 OIM A12468 The fortress of Sargon II at Khorsabad included a complex of temples, one of which was devoted to the sun god Shamash. This bronze band encir...

Iraq: Nineveh (?) Neo-Assyrian Period Reign of Sennacherib, ca. 689 B.C. Baked clay, inscribed 38.0 cm H, 14.0 cm W Purchased in Baghdad, 1919 OIM A2793 On the six inscribed sides of this clay prism, King Sennacherib recorded eight military campaigns undertaken against various peoples who refused t...

Religion and CultureAssyrian relief (c. 865-860 BCE) with cuneiform script, and depiction of a royal helper carrying a bucket The Assyrian religion was heavily influenced by that of its Mesopotamian predecessors—mainly the Sumerian culture. The chief god of the Assyrians was Ashur, from whom both th...