Places of the Bible

Assyria

Upper Mesopotamia (northern Iraq) · Old Testament · 118 verses

Assyria was a major empire centered on the upper Tigris River in what is now northern Iraq. Its heartland lay around the cities of Asshur, Nineveh, and Calah. The name appears in Genesis, Numbers, 2 Kings and 13 more in the King James text.

About Assyria

Assyria was a major empire centered on the upper Tigris River in what is now northern Iraq. Its heartland lay around the cities of Asshur, Nineveh, and Calah.

Its place in the story

Assyria became the dominant Near Eastern power in the eighth and seventh centuries BC and conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting its people. The prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah spoke of Assyria as the rod of God's judgment. Its king Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem in the days of King Hezekiah.

Assyria in Scripture (KJV)

“And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.”
Genesis 2:14 (KJV)
“Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,”
Genesis 10:11 (KJV)
“The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.”
Genesis 10:22 (KJV)
“And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.”
Genesis 25:18 (KJV)
“Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.”
Numbers 24:22 (KJV)
“And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.”
Numbers 24:24 (KJV)
“And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.”
2 Kings 15:19 (KJV)
“And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.”
2 Kings 15:20 (KJV)

Assyria is named 118 times in Scripture; 8 shown above.

Where it leads

Assyria's conquest scattered the northern tribes and set the stage for the exile theme, deepening the longing for a Redeemer who would gather God's scattered people, fulfilled in Christ.

Who is Jesus? · Places of the Bible

People also ask

Where is Assyria in the Bible?

Assyria was a major empire centered on the upper Tigris River in what is now northern Iraq. Its heartland lay around the cities of Asshur, Nineveh, and Calah. The name appears in Genesis, Numbers, 2 Kings and 13 more in the King James text.

What happened at Assyria?

Assyria became the dominant Near Eastern power in the eighth and seventh centuries BC and conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting its people. The prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah spoke of Assyria as the rod of God's judgment. Its king Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem in the days of King Hezekiah.

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Scripture verbatim KJV. Place facts curated; any coordinates via Wikidata (CC0).

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