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FIND OUT MORE. Western Asia and the Middle East 264–265

GATEWAY GUARDIAN 3

This is one of a pair of huge stone

figures that adorned the gateway of

the palace of Assyrian King Sargon II

(r. 722–705 BCE), at Khorsabad (now in

Iraq). They represented the might of

Assyria and guarded the palace.

WHERE WAS THE PROMISED LAND?

The Hebrews believed that God had promised them a home in Canaan. According to

the Bible, the prophet Moses led them to this land in around 1200 BCE. Later, in 922

BCE, the Hebrew kingdom of Canaan divided into two separate nations – Israel in the

north and Judah in the south. Judah would give its name to the Jewish people.

ASSYRIANS

The Assyrians lived in northern Mesopotamia. Their large empire, built

around 1400 BCE, was destroyed by the Sea Peoples. In 900 BCE, the

Assyrians conquered a new empire stretching from Egypt to the Persian

Gulf. It collapsed after the Babylonians and Medes attacked in 612 BCE.

HEBREWS

The Hebrews were shepherds and farmers in Canaan, at the eastern

end of the Mediterranean Sea. Sea Peoples also settled there.

Around 1020 BCE, the Hebrews conquered these peoples and

founded a powerful new kingdom, led by great kings. Saul was

the first king. He was succeeded by David, and then Solomon.

PRACTISING FOR WAR 3

This stone carving shows the

Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II

and his soldiers practising combat

skills by hunting lions. It comes

from the king’s palace at Nimrud.

Bull’s legs and

body symbolized

strength

Wings of an eagle,

the most powerful

creature in the sky

Human head

represents

intelligence

Crown is

symbol of

power

King

Ashurnasirpal II

4 HEBREW PRISONERS

The Assyrians besieged

the town of Lachish, in

Judah, in 701 BCE. This

carving shows Jewish

prisoners being led away

by Assyria’s King

Sennacherib (r. 705–

681  BCE). The picture once

decorated the king’s palace

in the Assyrian city

of Nineveh.

Wheeled war

chariot copied

from Hittite

armies

Hebrews’ valuable

farm animals also

taken into captivity

HOW DID THE ASSYRIANS FIGHT THEIR BATTLES?

The first Assyrian soldiers were farmers, who left their

fields when called up to fight. But by around 740 BCE,

the Assyrian kings had developed fierce new

armies made up of captured

foreigners. They fought with

swords, spears, bows and

arrows, and battering rams.

They demanded tributes of

timber, metal, and horses

from weaker peoples.

Middle

Eastern

empires