The History of Antiquity, Vol. 2 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 2 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
Bin-nirar's son and successor was Shalmanesar I., who ascended the
throne of Assyria about 1340 B.C. We learnt above from Genesis, that
"Asshur built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Resen and Chalah."
Assur-nasirpal, who ruled over Assyria more than 400 years after
Shalmanesar I., tells us that "Shalmanesar the mighty, who lived before
him, founded the ancient city of Chalah."[37] It is thus clear that
Assyria before the year 1300 B.C. obtained a third residence in addition
to the cities of Asshur and Nineveh. Like Asshur and Nineveh, it lay on
the banks of the Tigris, about 50 miles to the north of Asshur, and 25
to the south of Nineveh. It was not, however, like Asshur, situated on
the western bank of the river, but on the eastern, like Nineveh, a
little above the junction of the Upper Zab, in a position protected by
both rivers, and thus far more secure than Asshur. Shalmanesar also
built in both the old residences of Asshur and Nineveh. Tiles of
Kileh-Shergat bear the stamp, "Palace of Shalmanesar, son of king
Bin-nirar."[38] His buildings in Nineveh are certified by an
inscription, in which Shalmanesar says: "The temple of Istar, which
Samsi-Bin, the prince who was before me, built, and which my predecessor
Assur-u-ballit restored, had fallen into decay in the course of time. I
built it up again from the ground to the roof. The prince who comes
after me and sees my cylinder (p. 37), and sets it again in its place,
as I have set the cylinder of Assur-u-ballit in its place, him may Istar
bless; but him who destroys my monument may Istar curse and root his
name and race out of the land."[39] In the same inscription Shalmanesar
calls himself conqueror of Niri, Lulumi and Musri, districts for
which--at any rate for the two last--we shall have to look in the
neighbourhood of Nineveh, in the chain of the Zagrus. The son of
Shalmanesar I. was Tiglath Adar; he completed the restoration of the
temple of Istar at Nineveh, and fought with such success against
Nazimurdas of Babylon that he placed on his seal this inscription:
"Tiglath Adar, king of the nations, son of Shalmanesar, king of Asshur,
has conquered the land of Kardunias." But he afterwards lost this very
seal to the Babylonians, who placed it as a trophy in the treasure-house
of Babylon (about 1300 B.C.).[40]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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