The Assyrian Empires Capitals The H..., Charles River Editors
The Assyrian Empires Capitals The H..., Charles River Editors
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The Assyrian Empire's Capitals: The History and Legacy of Nineveh, Assur, and Nimrud

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Colin Fluxman

Unabridged: 4 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/02/2019


Synopsis

When scholars study the history of the ancient Near East, several wars that had extremely brutal consequences (at least by modern standards) often stand out. Forced removal of entire populations, sieges that decimated entire cities, and wanton destruction of property were all tactics used by the various peoples of the ancient Near East against each other, but the Assyrians were the first people to make war a science. When the Assyrians are mentioned, images of war and brutality are among the first that come to mind, despite the fact that their culture prospered for nearly 2,000 years. Like a number of ancient individuals and empires in that region, the negative perception of ancient Assyrian culture was passed down through Biblical accounts, and regardless of the accuracy of the Bible’s depiction of certain events, the Assyrians clearly played the role of adversary for the Israelites. Indeed, Assyria (Biblical Shinar) and the Assyrian people played an important role in many books of the Old Testament and are first mentioned in the book of Genesis: “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech, and Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Ashur and built Nineveh and the city Rehoboth and Kallah.” A historical survey of ancient Assyrian culture reveals that although they were the supreme warriors of their time, they were also excellent merchants, diplomats, and highly literate people who recorded their history and religious rituals and ideology in great detail. Furthermore, the Assyrians prospered for so long that their culture is often broken down by historians into the “Old”, “Middle”, and “Neo” Assyrian periods, even though the Assyrians themselves viewed their history as a long succession of rulers from an archaic period until the collapse of the neo-Assyrian Empire in the 7th century BCE. 

Reviews

Goodreads review by John on June 14, 2018

A great primer on an area of history that deserves more attention. One especially interesting aspect is the proposition that Nineveh may have actually been the true location of one of the seven wonders of the world. The argument will leave you hanging... 2 stars for narration as at times it seems wor......more

Goodreads review by Matt on August 03, 2017

This is probably the best non-fiction book on the history of Nineveh. Easy-to-read. Some books on Nineveh can be so academic, you'll fall asleep. But this book brings out many interesting points in a style that will keep you engaged. Very well organized. Chapter 1: Location and Geography of Nineveh......more

Goodreads review by Mike on January 31, 2019

An interesting overview of one of the ancient cities of Mesopotamia. Of particular interest to me was the author’s theories on Nineveh, not Babylon, being the home of the legendary Hanging Gardens of the Wonders of the World. A compelling case is made, supported with multiple sources and well presen......more

Goodreads review by Suresh on October 25, 2017

Very well presented and explains a lot about the Assyrian capital city Nineveh, its founding, growth, devlopment, downfall and arising from the ashes of the Assyrian Empire, decades later right upto almost modern times and in the Muslim Period. Excellent informative book.......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca on June 06, 2018

A quick read over the history of Ninevah and its eventual downfall. Very informative and engaging.......more