Although archaeological excavations reveal that
the land of the Assyrians had been inhabited as
early as 5000 B.C., it was not until the reign of
King Sargon of Akkad in 2371 B.C. that the
Assyrians first rose to glory. Under Sargon, the
kingdom rapidly expanded north to the city of
Ashur and as far west as the Mediterranean,
controlled by a central government based in
Akkad. By 1813 B.C., King Shamshi-Adad I
united the cities of Ashur, Nineveh, and Arbel
into one cohesive administrative unit. These
three cities, as well as Arrapkha and Kalhu (later
known as Nimrud), form the historical core of
the Assyrian Kingdom which would remain a
credible force throughout the Mediterranean
world for the next millennium. While various
parts of Assyrian territory were annexed for brief
periods of time by neighboring civilizations, this
core remained firmly intact. The Assyrians
experienced another Golden Age, lasting from
the 9th until the 7th Century B.C. (this period is
referred to as “Neo-Assyrian”). During this
period, the kingdom grew to its largest extent,
encompassing the lands from parts of modern
Iran to the Mediterranean, from Anatolia to
Egypt. However, it proved difficult even for the
powerful Assyrian monarchs to maintain control
over this vast territory for very long. By the end
of the 7th Century, the Assyrian Kingdom began
to collapse under the weight of assaults from the
Babylonians to the south and the newly founded
Medes Kingdom to the east. In 612 B.C., Nimrud
burned for the second time in three years,
followed by the sacking of Ashur and Nineveh,
effectively ending Assyrian control of the ancient
Near East.
Ashurnasirpal II was one of the most celebrated
rulers of the ancient Middle East. Although he
conquered the lands on the borders of his
empire with fierce and deliberate cruelty, he was
prudent enough not to attack his more powerful
neighbors of Urartu to the north, Babylon to the
south, and Aram to the west. Such wise restraint
is a rare quality in a leader. This fascinating
foundation brick from the king’s palace is an
ancient piece of propaganda. The cuneiform test
can be translated as: “Palace of Ashurnasirpal,
great king, mighty king, king of the world, king
of Assyria, son of Tukulti-Ninurta, great king,
mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria,
descendant of Assur-Nirari, king of the world,
king of Assyria. Brick facing the well of the
palace courtyard.” Imagine, this brick came from
the ancient Assyrian equivalent of the White
House. Clearly, the inscription is meant to
reinforce the authority of the king, even in his
own palace. Ashurnasirpal II moved the capital of
his empire from Ashur to Kalhu (modern
Nimrud). It is in the ruins of Kalhu (also known
as Calah) were many of the inscribed textual
monuments, such as this foundation brick, have
been unearthed. This extraordinary tablet
attests to the greatness of this king, king of
Assyria, king of the world.
- (PF.5521)
|
