As·syr·ia /əˈsɪriə/
 亞述


 Assyria
      n : an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia which is in
          present-day Iraq


 Assyria
    the name derived from the city Asshur on the Tigris, the
    original capital of the country, was originally a colony from
    Babylonia, and was ruled by viceroys from that kingdom. It was a
    mountainous region lying to the north of Babylonia, extending
    along the Tigris as far as to the high mountain range of
    Armenia, the Gordiaean or Carduchian mountains. It was founded
    in B.C. 1700 under Bel-kap-kapu, and became an independent and a
    conquering power, and shook off the yoke of its Babylonian
    masters. It subdued the whole of Northern Asia. The Assyrians
    were Semites (Gen. 10:22), but in process of time non-Semite
    tribes mingled with the inhabitants. They were a military
    people, the "Romans of the East."

      Of the early history of the kingdom of Assyria little is
    positively known. In B.C. 1120 Tiglath-pileser I., the greatest
    of the Assyrian kings, "crossed the Euphrates, defeated the
    kings of the Hittites, captured the city of Carchemish, and
    advanced as far as the shores of the Mediterranean." He may be
    regarded as the founder of the first Assyrian empire. After this
    the Assyrians gradually extended their power, subjugating the
    states of Northern Syria. In the reign of Ahab, king of Israel,
    Shalmaneser II. marched an army against the Syrian states, whose
    allied army he encountered and vanquished at Karkar. This led to
    Ahab's casting off the yoke of Damascus and allying himself with
    Judah. Some years after this the Assyrian king marched an army
    against Hazael, king of Damascus. He besieged and took that
    city. He also brought under tribute Jehu, and the cities of Tyre
    and Sidon.

      About a hundred years after this (B.C. 745) the crown was
    seized by a military adventurer called Pul, who assumed the name
    of Tiglath-pileser III. He directed his armies into Syria, which
    had by this time regained its independence, and took (B.C. 740)
    Arpad, near Aleppo, after a siege of three years, and reduced
    Hamath. Azariah (Uzziah) was an ally of the king of Hamath, and
    thus was compelled by Tiglath-pileser to do him homage and pay a
    yearly tribute.

      In B.C. 738, in the reign of Menahem, king of Israel, Pul
    invaded Israel, and imposed on it a heavy tribute (2 Kings
    15:19). Ahaz, the king of Judah, when engaged in a war against
    Israel and Syria, appealed for help to this Assyrian king by
    means of a present of gold and silver (2 Kings 16:8); who
    accordingly "marched against Damascus, defeated and put Rezin to
    death, and besieged the city itself." Leaving a portion of his
    army to continue the siege, "he advanced through the province
    east of Jordan, spreading fire and sword," and became master of
    Philistia, and took Samaria and Damascus. He died B.C. 727, and
    was succeeded by Shalmanezer IV., who ruled till B.C. 722. He
    also invaded Syria (2 Kings 17:5), but was deposed in favour of
    Sargon (q.v.) the Tartan, or commander-in-chief of the army, who
    took Samaria (q.v.) after a siege of three years, and so put an
    end to the kingdom of Israel, carrying the people away into
    captivity, B.C. 722 (2 Kings 17:1-6, 24; 18:7, 9). He also
    overran the land of Judah, and took the city of Jerusalem (Isa.
    10:6, 12, 22, 24, 34). Mention is next made of Sennacherib (B.C.
    705), the son and successor of Sargon (2 Kings 18:13; 19:37;
    Isa. 7:17, 18); and then of Esar-haddon, his son and successor,
    who took Manasseh, king of Judah, captive, and kept him for some
    time a prisoner at Babylon, which he alone of all the Assyrian
    kings made the seat of his government (2 Kings 19:37; Isa.
    37:38).

      Assur-bani-pal, the son of Esarhaddon, became king, and in
    Ezra 4:10 is referred to as Asnapper. From an early period
    Assyria had entered on a conquering career, and having absorbed
    Babylon, the kingdoms of Hamath, Damascus, and Samaria, it
    conquered Phoenicia, and made Judea feudatory, and subjected
    Philistia and Idumea. At length, however, its power declined. In
    B.C. 727 the Babylonians threw off the rule of the Assyrians,
    under the leadership of the powerful Chaldean prince
    Merodach-baladan (2 Kings 20:12), who, after twelve years, was
    subdued by Sargon, who now reunited the kingdom, and ruled over
    a vast empire. But on his death the smouldering flames of
    rebellion again burst forth, and the Babylonians and Medes
    successfully asserted their independence (B.C. 625), and Assyria
    fell according to the prophecies of Isaiah (10:5-19), Nahum
    (3:19), and Zephaniah (3:13), and the many separate kingdoms of
    which it was composed ceased to recognize the "great king" (2
    Kings 18:19; Isa. 36:4). Ezekiel (31) attests (about B.C. 586)
    how completely Assyria was overthrown. It ceases to be a nation.
    (See NINEVEH; BABYLON.)



 Assyria, country of Assur or Ashur