The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and BabyloniaPinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Religion
The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia
Pinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Gyges, in Assyrian Gug(g)u, is regarded as the original of the mystic Gog
of Ezekiel xxxviii. 39, and his country, Lydia (Luddu), is generally
explained as the Biblical Lud, though a certain amount of doubt regarding
it exists.
Aššur-banî-âpli’s other campaigns were against the Vannites, the Elamites,
the Babylonians (on account of his brother Saosduchinos, king of that
country, refusing to acknowledge his suzerainty), after that twice more
against Elam, then against the Arabians, and finally against Ummanaldaš,
king of Elam, whom he seized as a hawk does his prey. In all, however, he
captured four Elamite princes, whom he caused to be attached to his
carriage (_ina marri šadadi, rukub šarruti-ia_(118)), and as for the
Arabian princes whom he had taken as prisoners, he caused them to wear
chains and badges of service, and to work at the building of his palace,
as was the custom in those days.
We can easily imagine him—the great and noble Aššur-banî-âpli, called by
Ezra (iv. 10) Asnapper (better Asenappar), who transferred the Dinaites,
Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians,
Susanchites (Susanians), Dehavites, and Elamites, to swell the mixed
multitudes in the cities of Samaria. Many a time is he represented in the
beautiful bas-reliefs which he caused to be carved as the adornments of
his palace at Nineveh, and we there see him, the patron of art, as the
bold sportsman and hunter, just as his tablets show him as the greatest
patron of literature of his time, one who knew the literature of his race,
who took a pride in learning, and himself copied out tablets “in the
assembly of the experts.”
The “great and noble Asnapper” is worthy of a statue in every land where
the languages of Assyria and Babylonia are studied.
How the sudden downfall of the Assyrian empire really came about we do not
know. In all probability it remained intact until the death of
Aššur-banî-âpli, which took place in 626 B.C. His son,
Aššur-êtil-îlāni-ukinni, has left no historical records, though it is not
by any means impossible that some light may ultimately be thrown on his
reign. One of the enigmas of his time is: What was the circumstance which
called forth the following communication?—
“The message of the daughter of the king to Aššurâaitu the queen. As yet
thou writest not thy tablet, and dictatest not thy letter? Shall they say
thus: ‘Is this the sister of Šerû-êṭerat, the eldest daughter of the
Harem-house of Aššur-êtil-îlāni-ukinni, the great king, the mighty king,
the king of the world, the king of Assyria?’ And thou art the daughter of
the bride, the lady of the house of Aššur-banî-âpli, the son of the great
king of the Harem-house, who was Aššur-âḫa-iddina (Esarhaddon), king of
Assyria.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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