Page 66 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

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 back to 2400 BC and was an incredible civilization that rose from humble beginnings into a
fearsome empire that ruled much of the 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 did the best they could 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. Every day 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 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 in
breadth," whose population at that time
is given as "more than 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 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 for 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, was one of three great goddesses of the Canaanite religion. She was
associated primarily with love and fertility. She was also associated with war

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