Assyria, a Greek name formed from Asshur (אשׁוּר, ‘ashshūr; Ἀσσούρ, Assoúr; Assyrian Assur): The primitive capital of the country.
The origin of the city (now Kala'at Shergat), which was built on the western bank of the Tigris between the Upper and Lower Zab, went back to pre-Sem times, and the meaning of the name was forgotten (see Genesis 2:14, where the Hiddekel or Tigris is said to flow on the eastern side of Asshur). To the North of the junction of the Tigris and Upper Zab, and opposite the modern Mossul, was a shrine of the goddess Ishtar, around which grew up the town of Nina, Ninua or Nineveh (now Kouyunjik and Nebi Yunus). Another early sanctuary of Ishtar was at Urbillu, Arbailu or Arbela, East of the Upper Zab. North of Nineveh was Dur-Sargina (now Khorsabad) where Sargon built his palace (720 BC). All this district was embraced in the kingdom of Assyria which extended from Babylonia northward to the Kurdish mountains and at times included the country westward to the Euphrates and the Khabur.
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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Assyria, Asshur, Assyrian, Ninevah, Nineveh
Bible reference(s): Gen 2:14, Gen 10:11, Gen 25:18, 2 Kgs 15:19, 2 Kgs 15:20, 2 Kgs 15:29, 2 Kgs 16:7, 2 Kgs 16:8, 2 Kgs 16:9, 2 Kgs 16:10, 2 Kgs 16:18, 2 Kgs 17:3, 2 Kgs 17:4, 2 Kgs 17:5, 2 Kgs 17:6, 2 Kgs 17:23, 2 Kgs 17:24, 2 Kgs 17:26, 2 Kgs 17:27, 2 Kgs 18:7, 2 Kgs 18:9, 2 Kgs 18:11, 2 Kgs 18:13, 2 Kgs 18:14, 2 Kgs 18:16, 2 Kgs 18:17, 2 Kgs 18:19, 2 Kgs 18:23, 2 Kgs 18:28, 2 Kgs 18:30, 2 Kgs 18:31, 2 Kgs 18:33, 2 Kgs 19:4, 2 Kgs 19:6, 2 Kgs 19:8, 2 Kgs 19:10, 2 Kgs 19:11, 2 Kgs 19:17, 2 Kgs 19:20, 2 Kgs 19:32, 2 Kgs 19:36, 2 Kgs 20:6, 2 Kgs 23:29, 1 Chr 5:6, 1 Chr 5:26, 2 Chr 28:16, 2 Chr 28:20, 2 Chr 28:21, 2 Chr 30:6, 2 Chr 32:1, 2 Chr 32:4, 2 Chr 32:7, 2 Chr 32:9, 2 Chr 32:10, 2 Chr 32:11, 2 Chr 32:21, 2 Chr 32:22, 2 Chr 33:11, Ezra 4:2, Ezra 6:22, Neh 9:32, Isa 7:17, Isa 7:18, Isa 7:20, Isa 8:4, Isa 8:7, Isa 10:5, Isa 10:12, Isa 11:11, Isa 11:16, Isa 19:23, Isa 19:24, Isa 19:25, Isa 20:1, Isa 20:4, Isa 20:6, Isa 23:13, Isa 27:13, Isa 36:1, Isa 36:2, Isa 36:4, Isa 36:8, Isa 36:13, Isa 36:15, Isa 36:16, Isa 36:18, Isa 37:4, Isa 37:6, Isa 37:8, Isa 37:10, Isa 37:11, Isa 37:18, Isa 37:21, Isa 37:33, Isa 37:37, Isa 38:6, Jer 2:18, Jer 2:36, Jer 50:17, Jer 50:18, Lam 5:6, Ezek 23:7, Ezek 31:3, Ezek 32:22, Hos 5:13, Hos 7:11, Hos 8:9, Hos 9:3, Hos 10:6, Hos 11:5, Hos 11:11, Hos 12:1, Hos 14:3, Mic 5:6, Mic 7:12, Nahum 3:18, Zeph 2:13, Zech 10:10, Zech 10:11
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
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