Nineveh

31st century AM – Yafo
GEOGRAPHY: Yonah’s Itinerary:
Where did Yonah Hanavi Intend to Travel To?
Where is Tarshish on the Global Map?

36th century AM – Israel
HISTORY: The Fights of The Rabbis – Part 1:
The Rise and Fall of the Sadducee
By: Rabbi Pinchas Landis

12th century – International
TRAVELERS: Jewish Explorers of the Globe
R’ Binyamin of Tudela
By: Soroh Menucha Peltz

18th century – Prague
HALACHAH: Shemini Atzeres in the Sukkah
The Minhagim of Rashi and the Remah

18th century – Bessarabia
RESEARCH: In Search of the Sambatyon
The Whereabouts of the Mysterious River
By: Yaacov Landman

17th century – Cracow
STORY: Succor in the Sukkah
A Chavrusa in the Sukkah Leads to Reunion

'Well, as for Nineveh, skipper, it was wiped out long ago. There's not a trace of it left, and one can't even guess where it was' (Lucian, 2 nd century AD). Nineveh, the once-flourishing capital of the Assyrian Empire, has fascinated writers, travellers and historians alike since its complete annihilation by allied forces in 612 BC. It was said to have been a great and populous city with 90-km walls, stunning palaces and colossal statues of pure gold. Since 1842 archaeologists have been investigating the ruins of Nineveh, which are located on the eastern banks of the river Tigris, near the modern Iraqi city of Mosul. The hundreds of thousands of objects that have been collected tell an intriguing story of life and death in a remarkable Mesopotamian city. The edited volume Nineveh, the Great City contains more than 65 articles by international specialists, providing the reader with a detailed and thorough study of the site of Nineveh. It describes the history of the city, the excavations and the dispersed material culture that can today be appreciated in more than 100 museums and institutes around the world. Special attention is paid to the endangered heritage of Nineveh, which recently faced destruction for the second time in its history. This lavishly illustrated volume is intended to appeal to readers interested in culture and heritage, as well as to students and professional academics.

ABSTRACT: The following 58 questions follow the documentary (no.6),  PBS: The Lost Gardens of Babylon (60 minutes) (2014; 60 min.). The question sheet aids in furnishing a summary of the documentary's coverage and sequence of specific topics. A very good documentary detailing Stephanie Dalley's theory about the later traditions concerning the "(Hanging) Gardens of Babylon " as reflecting an actual origin and location in King Sennecherib's garden at Nineveh, over 100 years earlier (ca. early 7th century BCE) and at a site much further to the north (i.e., at Sennecherib's palace at Nineveh, in Assyria, versus in Nebuchadnezzar II's palace at Babylon). WEB LINK: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/the-lost-gardens-of-babylon-watch-the-full-episode/1203/.  The documentary introduces some of the traditions and evidence concerning the location and date of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and proceeds to Dalley's research and theories for equating it with an earlier garden built by Sennacherib beside his palace at Nineveh: This earlier garden is attested from diverse evidence in the British Museum (e.g., a cuneiform prism; palace wall panels), publications on earlier excavations at Nineveh, recent visits to and assessments of key sites in Iraq (e.g., Khinis; Jerwan; Nineveh), plus consultation with other specialists (e.g., Dr. Jason Ur: using Corona satellite imagery analysis and landscape interpretation). A very enjoyable documentary showing features and issues in both Ancient and modern Iraq.

ABSTRACT: This documentary response sheet contains 50 sequential questions drawn from the TimeLife documentary, "Mesopotamia: Return to Eden" (episode 1 in the TimeLife series on Lost Civilizations, 1995), and a reflection question at the end.  The question sheet aids in furnishing a summary of the documentary's coverage and sequence of specific topics. The documentary is a little dated, but it does provide an overview of some early exploration, excavation, discoveries (e.g., Leonard Woolley and Ur), and other issues relating to the emergence of Near Eastern Archaeology and some questions and topics of interest to a broad audience (e.g., Eden; Flood Story and Epic of Gilgamesh; Tower of Babel; Hammurabi's Law Code; Moabite Stone; Assyrian siege of Lachish; Dead Sea Scrolls). It looks at Neo-Babylonia, the fall of Jerusalem and Exilic period (586+ BC), the compilation of biblical texts in Babylon, the Assyrians, the Sumerians, and the postulated location of "Eden" (perhaps fitting ancient Dilmun). For a more thorough treatment on this, see Susan Pollock, 1999. Ancient Mesopotamia: The Eden that Never Was. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tGyQqfXoSw

L'Éternel fit venir un grand poisson pour avaler Jonas, et Jonas fut trois jours et trois nuits dans le ventre du poisson. […] L'Éternel parla au poisson, et le poisson vomit Jonas sur la terre. La parole de l'Éternel fut adressée à Jonas une deuxième fois : « Lève-toi, va à Ninive, la grande ville, et fais-y la proclamation que je t'ordonne. » Jonas se leva et alla à Ninive, conformément à la parole de l'Éternel. Or Ninive était une immense ville : il fallait trois jours de marche pour en faire le tour. Jonas fit d'abord dans la ville une journée de marche ; il proclamait : « Dans 40 jours, Ninive sera détruite ! » Les habitants de Ninive crurent à Dieu. Ils proclamèrent un jeûne et s'habillèrent de sacs, depuis les plus grands jusqu'aux plus petits. Le roi de Ninive apprit la nouvelle. Il se leva de son trône, retira son manteau, se couvrit d'un sac et s'assit sur la cendre. Et il fit faire dans Ninive cette proclamation : « Par ordre du roi et de ses grands, que les hommes et les bêtes, les boeufs et les brebis ne goûtent de rien, ne mangent pas et ne boivent pas d'eau ! Que les hommes et les bêtes soient couverts de sacs, qu'ils crient à Dieu avec force, et qu'ils renoncent tous à leur mauvaise conduite et aux actes de violence dont leurs mains sont coupables ! Qui sait si Dieu ne se ravisera pas et ne reviendra pas sur sa décision, s'il ne renoncera pas à son ardente colère, de sorte que nous ne mourions pas ? » Dieu vit ce qu'ils faisaient, il vit qu'ils renonçaient à leur mauvaise conduite. Alors Dieu regretta le mal dont il les avait menacés et ne le fit pas.

The question of Jonah's motivation for fleeing from the command of the Lord in Jonah 1:2 continues to be debated. This paper argues that Jonah would have been aware of both the cultural situation around the city of Nineveh in the eighth century BC and the gracious and compassionate character of God, and that both would have caused him to expect the repentance of the city of Nineveh before he ever left Israel. Intertextual connections are drawn between Jonah 4:2 and Exodus 32-34.

Historians consider the biblical account about Jonah's warning against Nineveh as a pious fiction. However, the Gospels refer to it as a real story which is even described as essential to faith (Luke 11:29-32). The book of Jonah, despite its brevity, gives some verifiable information on Nineveh, a very old city which disappeared completely after its destruction in 612 BCE. The dimensions mentionned seem colossal however they agree with the accounts of Herodotus (The Histories I:178), Diodorus quoting Persica §3 of Ctesias (Historical Library II:3) and Strabo (Geography XVI:1:3). Moreover, these dimensions, seemingly boundless, yet have been confirmed by archeology.
The text of 2 Kings 14:23-25 relates the mission of Jonah with the accession of Jeroboam II, as pointed out Josephus (Jewish Antiquities IX:205-207), which illuminates the reason and the urgency of his mission, because this particular year coincides with the death of Shalmaneser III (824/823 BCE). The coincidence in time sheds light on the strange role of Jonah. When Jonah comes to Assyria, in 824 BCE, the situation was this: the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III who resided in the new capital Kalhu was dying, his son Shamshi-Adad V was commissioned, as new crown prince, to quell the revolt headed by his brother Assur-danin-pal who led, him, 27 cities including the famous Nineveh. Jonah's mission was therefore a success since Assyrian expansionism to the Mediterranean coast will cease, at least for 80 years.
The fact that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish is often mocked but this unique event is rationally possible, moreover, the biblical text describes it as a divine intervention (Jonah 1:17).
GLASSTREE 2016 https://glasstree.com/shop/catalog/jonah-vs-king-of-nineveh-chronological-historical-and-archaeological-evidence_507/

http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/index.html
The Royal Inscription of Esarhaddon, King of Assyria (680-669 BC) is the inaugural volume of the Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period Project. The volume provides reliable, up-to-date editions of all of the known royal inscriptions of Esarhaddon, a son of Sennacherib who ruled Assyria for twelve years (680-669 BC). Editions of 143 firmly identifiable texts (which mostly describe successful battles and the completion of building projects, all done ad maiorem gloriam deorum), 29 poorly preserved late Neo-Assyrian inscriptions that may be attributed to him, and 10 inscriptions commissioned by his mother Naqia (Zakutu) and his wife Esharra-hammat are included. To make this corpus more user-friendly to both specialist and laymen, each text edition (with its English translation) is supplied with a brief introduction containing general information, a catalogue containing basic information about all exemplars, a commentary containing further technical information and notes, and a comprehensive bibliography (arranged chronologically from earliest to latest).

The volume also includes: (1) a general introduction to the reign of Esarhaddon, the corpus of inscriptions, previous studies, and dating and chronology; (2) translations of the relevant passages of three Mesopotamian chronicles; (3) 19 photographs of objects inscribed with texts of Esarhaddon; (4) indexes of museum and excavation numbers and selected publications; and (5) indexes of proper names (Personal Names; Geographic, Ethnic, and Tribal Names; Divine, Planet, and Star Names; Gate, Palace, Temple, and Wall Names; and Object Names). The book is accompanied by a CD-ROM containing transliterations of selected inscriptions arranged in a 'musical score' format.

http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap3/index.html
The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (704-681 BC), Part 2 (Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period 3/2) provides reliable, up-to-date editions of 195 texts of Sennacherib, as well as 26 other late Neo-Assyrian inscriptions that might belong to this king and 2 inscriptions of his family (including one of his wives, Tashmetu-sharrat). The volume contains historical inscriptions on bull and lion colossi from Nineveh, rock reliefs, stone horizontal prisms, and clay cylinders and prisms from other cities under Sennacherib’s authority (especially Ashur and Tarbisu); epigraphs on reliefs; and inscriptions on bricks, threshold slabs, door sockets, wall panels, stone blocks, beads, metal plating (including door bands); and drafts and copies of historical and building inscriptions written on clay tablets. Each text edition (with its English translation) is supplied with a brief introduction containing general information, a catalogue containing basic information about all exemplars, a commentary containing further technical information and notes, and a comprehensive bibliography.

RINAP 3/2 also includes: (1) a general introduction to the corpus of inscriptions and Sennacherib’s numerous building activities in Assyria (especially construction at Ashur); (2) several photographs of objects inscribed with texts of Sennacherib; (3) indices of museum and excavation numbers and selected publications; and (4) indices of proper names (Personal Names; Geographic, Ethnic, and Tribal Names; Divine, Planet, and Star Names; Gate, Palace, Temple, and Wall Names; and Object Names).

http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap3/index.html
The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (704-681 BC), Part 1 (Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period 3/1) provides reliable, up-to-date editions of thirty-eight historical inscriptions of Sennacherib. The texts edited in RINAP 3/1, which comprise approximately a sixth of the Sennacherib known corpus of inscriptions, were inscribed on clay cylinders, clay prisms, stone tablets, and stone steles from Nineveh; describe his many victories on the battlefield; and record numerous construction projects at Nineveh, including the city's walls and the "Palace Without a Rival." Each text edition (with its English translation) is supplied with a brief introduction containing general information, a catalogue containing basic information about all exemplars, a commentary containing further technical information and notes, and a comprehensive bibliography.

RINAP 3/1 also includes: (1) a general introduction to the reign of Sennacherib, his military campaigns, his building activities at Nineveh, the corpus of inscriptions, previous studies, and dating and chronology; (2) translations of the relevant passages of several Mesopotamian chronicles and kinglists; (3) several photographs of objects inscribed with texts of Sennacherib; (4) indices of museum and excavation numbers and selected publications; and (5) indices of proper names (Personal Names; Geographic, Ethnic, and Tribal Names; Divine, Planet, and Star Names; Gate, Palace, Temple, and Wall Names; and Object Names).

Aššurnaṣirpal II (r. 883-859 b.c.e.) moved his capital from Aššur to the old, long-deserted city of Kalḫu, which he proceeded to rebuild. His new official residence, the Northwest Palace, he described as his "palace for eternity." The rooms of the palace had carved stone relief slabs, previously unknown in Assyria. Ten of the, known, rooms had depictions of stylized trees, as well as other figures. This chapter identifies the stylized trees as female date palms and their offshoots-clones of the original tree-together offering a stylized view of a date palm plantation. By exploring the scientific and linguistic data of date palms and the artistic and historical aspects of the reliefs, it appears that Aššurnaṣirpal used this stylized depiction of a date palm plantation as his stemma, an analogy of his unchanging hereditary right to rule.

Reading the Epic of Gilgamesh can lead to confusion insofar as the versions of the story and the variations of character names therein. Moreover, since the unearthing of the cuneiform tablets over a century ago at Nineveh, there have been exponential developments in the field which lead to a challenging literature review: continuous new discoveries of texts; progressive improvement in decipherment superseding past works; new publications of private collections; lack of accreditment to, or complete omission of, the works of early pioneering researchers; and multifarious interpretations of the Sumerian and Semitic texts among scholars. This paper assists readers with a perspicuous review of nascent writing systems, geocultural timelines, Mesopotamian city-states, and the Dynastic Periods. A historical overview is provided on the works of the early pioneers of Assyriology. Modern scholarship is then briefly analyzed for the most current data available, including the questionable epilogue of Tablet XII. Students outside of philological or Assyriological studies will benefit from this comprehensive, well-encompassed guide on the discoveries of the cuneiform tablets, their decipherment, and the metamorphoses of Gilgamesh from Ancient Sumerian tales to Akkadian epic through millennia.
(International Journal of Literary Humanities 14.4 (2016): 39-54.)

This article argues that the campaign of antiquities destruction waged by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) should be understood in the context of the group's rejection of the nation-state. The Ba'athist regimes of Iraq and Syria used archaeology not only as a tool to promote national unity but also as an ideological narrative to portray their states as continual recapitulations of their pasts. As a result, the pre-Islamic past came to be associated with secular nationalism. Since the secular state demands obedience to secular law, ISIS views it as idolatrous as it demands allegiance apart from God. The group considers the secular sacralization of antiquities in support of nationalism to be an aspect of this form of idolatry that justifies their destruction. Future efforts at cultural heritage preservation in the region will need to take into account the decline of Arab nationalist movements which once supported them.

This paper argues that the future political stability of Nineveh depends on a two-level normalisation. A potential agreement between competing local actors, such as Baghdad and Erbil, is not the only necessary condition to stabilise the area. It also requires that Turkey and Iran decide to desecuritise Nineveh to the extent that it ceases to play the role of a buffer zone in the Middle East regional security complex. This argument is underpinned by the close examination of Turkey's and Iran's involvement together with their respective local allies in Nineveh in the post-2014 period. Developments referring to the cases of Bashiqa, Shingal, Tal Afar, as well as activities in favour or against Mosul leaders' post-Islamic State (IS) vision illustrate that Nineveh's securitisation has transcended Iraq's borders. All in all, Turkey and Iran are vying for greater influence in Nineveh, or at least attempting to ensure that it will not become a satellite area of a competing power. Partly through their direct diplomatic and military engagement, but most importantly through their military and economic support to their local allies, the two regional powers pursue their security and diplomatic goals. At the same time, their involvement in the area has compounded the friction between local actors. Accordingly, the paper argues that in order to avoid greater polarisation in Nineveh and prepare the ground for constructive negotiations in the post-IS environment, Turkey and Iran should work on institutionalising their relationship beyond trade. Working together on issues of security between them, but also specifically in Nineveh, would improve trust and confidence in their relationship and help overcome the catch-22.

Since late antiquity, northern Mesopotamia had been the cradle of two main Christian communities, namely, the Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. From the late Middle Ages onwards, however, their newly-created Catholic counterparts, as well as Protestant offshoots in the modern period, have further added to this uneasy and often antagonistic mix. Despite these Churches sharing a common Syriac liturgical language, and their members speaking Neo-Aramaic and sharing a common Assyrian ethnicity and heritage, they have time and again found themselves at loggerheads in the historical record over differences in theology, Christology, allegiance and claims to apostolic succession. With this diversification of creeds and loyalties amongst the Syriac Churches, there also came a need for each community to legitimise, consolidate and renew itself as it saw fit in order to be able to remain in competition with its ‘rivals.’ Part of this process was embodied in the appropriation of churches and monasteries belonging to the ‘others’ and their modification to conform to the ecclesiastical norms of the new owners.

In this study, cases of churches which have largely changed hands between the Church of the East, Syriac Orthodox Church, Chaldean Catholic Church and Syriac Catholic Church will be discussed in an effort to illustrate this un-Christian process of control, appropriation and dispossession, as well as the transferral and imposition of one form of Christian expression on an edifice which previously belonged to another denomination. Examples of church buildings in Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran will hence be discussed in an effort to understand the way in which this heritage is appropriated and transferred, as well as the method through which one denomination’s own heritage can be transferred to an existing structure built by an opposing one.

ABSTRACT:  This lecture (no. 3) focuses mainly upon the early to recent re-discovery, explorations, and excavations of Ancient Mesopotamia, starting with medieval to early Renaissance travelers, concentrating upon the 1800s to early 1900s, and finishing with post- World War II and more recent times. The lecture then proceeds to introduce selected sources for study, including primary resources (translations/textual-pictorial sources; archaeological reports) and peer-reviewed and professional secondary sources. REVISED: Adding new text, 9 slides, new formatting, etc. (completed Spring 2020; uploaded in Fall 2020). UPDATED: 2022 Spring offering.

Initially written in Greek and published in the Greek monthly ‘Trito Mati’ – ‘Third Eye’ (February 1992), before my adhesion to Islam, under author’s name ‘Cosmas Megalommatis’, successively translated by me in French and published in France, and more recently translated in 1999 in English and published in various media.

At this point, I want to thank the translator for this excellent English translation. My adhesion to Islam did not make me change my approach and opinion in anything related to this subject as developed in this text.

Published in the Origin of Nations magazine, vol.3, no.3. (1999): pages 2-3, 12-20 and online:
http://www.originofnations.org/books,%20papers/Elizabeth%20II.pdf

The original Greek text can be found here:
https://www.academia.edu/49102838/Απόγονοι_των_Ισραηλιτών_οι_Βρεταννοί_

Book abstract: 'Well, as for Nineveh, skipper, it was wiped out long ago. There's not a trace of it left, and one can't even guess where it was' (Lucian, 2 nd century AD). Nineveh, the once-flourishing capital of the Assyrian Empire, has fascinated writers, travellers and historians alike since its complete annihilation by allied forces in 612 BC. It was said to have been a great and populous city with 90-km walls, stunning palaces and colossal statues of pure gold. Since 1842 archaeologists have been investigating the ruins of Nineveh, which are located on the eastern banks of the river Tigris, near the modern Iraqi city of Mosul. The hundreds of thousands of objects that have been collected tell an intriguing story of life and death in a remarkable Mesopotamian city. The edited volume Nineveh, the Great City contains more than 65 articles by international specialists, providing the reader with a detailed and thorough study of the site of Nineveh. It describes the history of the city, the excavations and the dispersed material culture that can today be appreciated in more than 100 museums and institutes around the world. Special attention is paid to the endangered heritage of Nineveh, which recently faced destruction for the second time in its history. This lavishly illustrated volume is intended to appeal to readers interested in culture and heritage, as well as to students and professional academics.

This paper has been published in Iraq, Volume LXXVII, pp. 41-58. For copyright reasons the paper cannot be published here. The attached document is the final version of the paper submitted for publication.

Publication of two previously unpublished images of Layard's excavations at Nimrud in June 1850 on the sharat niphi and Ninurta temple. In the discussion seeking to identify the artist, the paper argues that they were completed by S.C. Malan. The paper includes a catalogue of all the S.C. Malan water colours of excavations at Nimrud and Nineveh and publishes those images not previously published.

Each year over seven billion people across the world are drawn to see the latest feature films at the cinema. This episode reveals how the most powerful storytelling medium ever created exploits visual techniques invented by artists in the ancient world.

The investigation starts with the oldest recorded story, that of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. The story tells the tales (and adventures) of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.  One scene from the story, in particular, captured the imagination of Bronze Age people, and that was the slaying of a pride of lions. The story inspired the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal, in around 645BC, to cast himself in the leading role of Gilgamesh in a series of carved friezes for his throne room. The success of these lead Ashurbanipal to depict the battle against the Elamites and in particular visualised the prisoners grinding their ancestors bones to make their bread. Although mankind had discovered the power of the protagonist, in particular that of a hero, Ashurbanipal’s stories lacked emotion and so are hard to engage with.

Jumping forward several hundred years to the Ancient Greeks, we find the next missing element crucial to storing telling. In the grotto of the Villa de Tiberius in Spurlonga, Italy, a collection of sculptures were found that depict Odysseus‘s encounter with the cyclops. The statues show Odysseus getting the cyclops drunk and then tricking him, and driving a stake though his eye. By depicting the emotions in the scene we, as the viewer, get a greater connection with the story. If we care about the characters, we care about what happens next.

The Romans refined this process more when Emperor Trajan, celebrated his conquest of the Dacians, and created Trajan’s column in the heart of Rome. The 35m high marble column has the story of the event, spiraling around the column, from the base, right to the very top. Admired by Napoleon and Mussolini, it depicts an Epic with Trajan as the protagonist hero and the Dacian king Decebalus as the antagonist. The sculptors used many visual techniques still used today such as cut scenes, and birds eye and low views to add drama. The whole story can be summarised by looking up the western axis of the column. Although this captivated viewers there was still something missing.

The final piece in the jigsaw can be found in Australia which has some of oldest known painted images, some known to be over 40k years old. The aborigines still draw gods and spirits the same way their early ancestors did, for example images of barramundi fish. This consistency has lead to these images becoming symbols, triggering the viewer to recall well known stories passed down generation to generation. The real magic happened when the Aborigines came together to celebrate these stories, they recounted them adding drum beats, rhythm and chanting. Now two senses were being stimulated, the eyes and the ears.

When the pioneers of the nineteenth century created the first moving images, they were silent, but as soon as cinematographers added sound, cinema as we know it today took off.