Page 37 - Advanced Bible Geography ebook

the city walls. The city of Nineveh is described in Genesis 10:11 as
having been founded by Nimrod, the hunter who built the tower of
Babel and led the world into a rebellion against God. The Old
Testament also mentions Nineveh in relation to the prophet Jonah
who preached judgment against Nineveh, and afterward the city
repented.

Nineveh took its turn as
one of three cities to be
the capital of Assyria,
whose rule over
Mesopotamia dates to
2400 BC and was an
incredible civilization that
rose from humble
beginnings into a
fearsome empire that
ruled much of known
world until its fall in 612
BC. Because we read of
the judgments upon
Assyria, we might tend to
look upon them as some
demon-possessed frothing people of whom nothing comes
but evil. But the truth for Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire is
true of every nation on earth. They had many kinds of people,
subject to the cultural norms of the time, and doing the best
they can to raise their children, survive and prosper. God through Jonah showed great mercy on its
people because they repented hearing the word of God. (8th Century BCEE.) The Assyrians brought
many scientific, philosophical, and practical advances to humanity including many inventions that we
take for granted today. Everyday most of us lock our doors when we leave the house, locks and keys
were invented in Assyria. They also invented a system that kept time and ascribed 360 degrees to a
circle. They are given credit for
inventing paved roads, the first
postal system, the first use of
iron, the first libraries, the first
plumbing, flush toilets, and
aqueducts. They came up with
the first governmental
administration of dividing of
territories ruled by local
governors reporting to a central
authority.

The Book of Jonah, set in the
days of the Assyrian empire,
describes it as an "exceedingly
great city of three days' journey

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