Page 51 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

120,000". The city wall was probably around 60 miles in circumference with 15 magnificent gates and
surrounded by a moat of water. The Assyrians considered the city impregnable.
Their Religion
The Assyrians worshipped many gods including a moon god, a sun god, a weather
god, a god of woodworkers, and ad infinitum. But most Assyrians ignored all the
multitude of Gods and officially worshiped the god of the nation, Ashur. Ashur was
the “husband” of Ishtar, as their gods took on human relationships. They
constructed elaborate worship centers or temples to each of their gods. The
Assyrians were known to cook a morning and evening meal and place it before
their idol images. Of course, it was never consumed, as their gods were made of
wood and stone.

Nineveh was also famous in the ancient world because it was a center for the
worship of Ishtar (Astarte) the fertility goddess. She, along with Asherah and
Anath, were one of three great goddesses of the Canaanite religion. She was
associated primarily with love and fertility. She was also associated with war
because pictures of her display her carrying weapons of war and was eventually
celebrated as Artemis. She is associated with Venus, the morning and evening star.
Offerings to Astarte typically included libations of food and drink. As with many
deities, offerings are an important component of honoring Astarte in ritual and
prayer. Many gods and goddesses of the Mediterranean and Middle East
appreciate gifts of honey and wine, incense, bread, and fresh meat.
The Bible condemns the worship of Astarte repeatedly (Judges 2:13, I Samuel 7:3).
Solomon introduced this goddess to Israel into Jerusalem and made an alter to worship her outside
Jerusalem.

The occupants of the city worshipped false gods and lived totally immoral and debauched lives. Their
lifestyle was considered as evil as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. As a result, they were considered
a detestable people to the Hebrews.
Social and Commercial Factors in their Society

The Assyrians built their houses from mudbricks and covered them with plaster, similar today in many
African homes. They covered their floors with lime mixed with mud which hardened and could be
cleaned. Some of their houses had a second story and perhaps they slept on their roofs during hot
weather. Normally they designed their houses with an outer courtyard. They had bedrooms, reception
areas, kitchens, and even bathrooms with drainage pipes to outside. If you visited one of their homes
today, you would probably not notice much difference from a typical African home, maybe a bit nicer.

They cooked in their kitchen using a conical bread oven. They enjoyed eating barley, wheat, vegetables
like onions, cucumbers, garlic, lettuce, radishes, turnips, and several others, just as we do today. (Howard
Frederic Vos, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners & Customs: How the People of the Bible Really Lived (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers,
1999), 259.)
The family life of the Assyrians differed little from many countries today. It was a male-dominated
society and they practiced monogamy. Marriage was not necessarily a commitment between a man and
a woman, rather is was a contract which both parties agreed upon. It was considered a shame for a
woman to not be able to bear children. For any reason, a man could divorce his wife by cutting off the
hem of her dress before city officials. He was then free to remarry. Sounds like Africa today!

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