First 1000 Years of Assyrian

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The First 1000 Years of Assyrian History

The complete line of kings from the city Assur has not yet been restored because the two predecessors of Enlil-nasir II have their regnal years broken away in every tablet thus far discovered.
The key to these missing years lies in the early history of Assyria preserved exclusively in classical Greek sources.
The Greek historian Ctesias copied out of the annals in the Persian realm the ancient histories of Assyria and Media. Historians, since the advent of archaeology, have cast aside his records as worthless. They have found no evidence of the kings -- but then they have found no written records of anything for that period. Mere lack of knowledge does not disprove the traditional record of history.
In numerous cases the most important events of the past were carefully copied each generation on perishable materials -- and later preserved in the classical writers. Witness the history of the Hebrews. The history of Palestine cannot be found on stone monuments or on clay tablets. It is to be found only in the pages of a Book, the Bible.
The same is true of Assyria. The earliest ages have come down through royal annals only in the pages of books. Archaeology had nothing to say about the period other than confess its own ignorance!
The most complete evidence for the early Assyrian kings may be found in "Fasti Hellenici the Civil and Literary Chronology of Greece", by Henry Fynes Clinton, vol. I, p. 267. Additional works include John Jackson's "Chronological Antiquities", vol. I, pp. 247-253. The classical records in Greek and Latin are reproduced in Dr. Alfred Schoene's "Eusebi Chronicorum", especially in the "Excerpta Latina Barbari." Compare these with Dr. Rudolf Helm's "Die Chronik des Hieronymus".
Ctesias begins his consecutive history with the last 38 years (2006-1968) of the reign of Gilgamesh or Ninyas. Ninyas, it should be remembered, was the Assyrian name for Gilgamesh; Horus was his Egyptian. Ctesias does not preserve any record of the short period following the 42-year reign of Semiramis I (the Egyptian Isis) to the year 2006. This was the period of Median power in Babylonia.
In his History, Ctesias noted that the Assyrian power endured 1306 years before the time of the Median revolt. It was exactly 1306 years between 2006 and 700, the year the Medes obtained their freedom from the Assyrians -- only to lose it again to their own rulers!

In the following chart all significant variants in names and figures are included.
 

Names of Assyrian Rulers Preserved by Ctesias	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Ninyas (Gilgamesh)	38	2006-1968
Arius (Arioch of Genesis 14)	30	1968-1938

(Note that the year 1938 also marked the death of Amraphel of Shinar, according to the king list of Erech. Thus archaeological and classical records confirm the date of Abram's slaughter of the kings as 1938.)
 

Aralius (Amyrus)	40	1938-1898
Xerxes (Balaeus)	30	1898-1868
Armamithres	38	1868-1830
Belochus	35	1830-1795
Balaeus	52	1795-1743
Sethos (Zaztagus, Altallus, or Altadas)	35	1743-1708
Mamythus	30	1708-1678
Aschalius (Macchaleus)	30	1678-1648
	(or 28)	(1678-1650)
Sphaerus	20	1648-1628
	(or 22)	(1650-1628)

(The year 1650 marked a great Assyrian attempt to conquer India. The battle was fought in the winter of 1650-1649. Assyrian losses, together with those of their allies, were sufficient to change the balance of power in Babylonia in 1649. See the history of Indian and early Babylonia for that date.)
 

Mamylus	30	1628-1598
Sparaethus (Spartheus, or Spareus)	42	1598-1556
Ascatades	38	1556-1518
Amyntes	45	1518-1473
Belochus	25	1473-1448
Attosa (Semiramis II)	23	1448-1425
Beletares or	34	1425-1391
Belochus	45	1473-1428
Attosa (Semiramis II)	7	1428-1421
Beletares	30	1421-1391

(With Semiramis II the direct male line ceases. Beletares, the keeper of the royal gardens, comes to the throne, possibly through intermarriage with an heir of royal line.)
 

Lamprides	32	1391-1359
Sosares	20	1359-1339
Lampares	30	1339-1309
Panyas	45	1309-1264
	(or 42)	(1309-1267)
Sosarmus	19	1264-1245
	(or 22)	(1267-1245)
Mithraeus	35	1245-1210
Teutamus (Assyrian King during the First Trojan War)	32	1210-1178
Teutaeus	44	1178-1134
Thinaeus	30	1134-1104
Dercylus	40	1104-1064
Empacmes	38	1064-1026
Laosthenes	45	1026-981
Pertiades	30	981-951
Ophrataeus	21	951-930
Ephecheres (Ophratanes)	52	930-878
Acraganes	42	878-836
Thonos Concolerus	20	836-816

In 816 the Medes end the Assyrian dynasty. The king at this time was at his royal Palace at Rehoboth-Ir on the Euphrates (Genesis 36:37). A history of the Median kings who rode to prominence in 816 will be given in another section.

Analyzing the King List

Several unusual features, some not included in the preceding chart, are worth special study.
First, consider king Sethos or Altadas (1743-1708). His reign, according to Syncellus, extended over half a century -- 1758-1708. Why did he come to the throne about 1758 during the reign of Balaeus? Assyrian history is silent. But Egyptian history may reveal the answer. This was the time of King Senwosre III (the Sesostris of classical writers). Senwosre III had spent his first 19 years (1779-1760) in the subjugation of Ethiopia (Breasted's "Ancient Records", vol. I). He then set out to conquer all Asia. Manetho records that "in nine years he subdued the whole of Asia (meaning Western Asia), and Europe as far as Thrace." It is very probable that the year 1758 marks the conquest of Assyria by the Egyptian Pharaoh and the beginning of a joint reign in Assyria to stabilize the weakened monarchy.
In Eusebius' account of Ctesias only 32 years (1740-1708) are assigned to Sethos or Altadas. As this king's reign is the only one in the early part of the list to vary so unusually, this figure too must have significance. As the sole reign of Senwosre III ended in 1741, it may well be that the year 1740 points up the regaining of independence from Egyptian overlordship.
Now consider the reigns of Sosarmus (1267-1245) and Mithraeus (1245-1210). In the "Excerpta Barbara" king Sosarmus is assigned only 20 years (1267-1247). In Africanus his successor Mithraeus is given 37 years (1247-1210). What is especially significant is that Eusebius assigns only 27 years to Mithraeus (1247-1220).
Eusebius' figure cuts the reign of Mithraeus short by 10 years. What is the significance of his figure which ends the reign in 1220 instead of 1210? Herodotus answers the question! The year 1220 marks the beginning of 520 years of Assyrian hegemony over Upper Asia, ending in the year 700 at the Median revolt (Clio -- I, sect. 95).

The full significance of the year 1220 has not yet been exhausted. Syncellus' account of Ctesias includes four otherwise unknown Assyrian rulers who belong to a collateral dynasty. Their reigns total 162 years. No other writer includes them. Where should these kings be placed? Syncellus provides a clue. He placed this short dynasty at its midway point, opposite kings Teutaeus and Thinaeus. Its beginning would therefore be about 1220. Observe the missing link in Assyrian history when this short dynasty is properly placed beginning in 1220.
 

Contemporary Kings of Assyria	Lengths of Reign	Dates
(Mithraeus)	27	1247-1220
Arabelus	42	1220-1178
Chalaus	45	1178-1133
Anebus	38	1133-1095
Babius (or Tautamus II)	37	1095-1058

(What occurred in 1058? The answer is in the next line!)
 

Ninurta-apil-Ekur, son of Ilu-ihadda, seized the throne

3

1058-1055, etc.

From here on the kings of the Calah line continue until 621. Thus the four kings of Syncellus provide the missing link that unites the testimony of Herodotus with the list of Ctesias and the record of archaeology!

To return to the history of Ctesias. For the three kings Teutamus, Teutaeus and Thinaeus (1210-1104) several transcribers of Ctesias provide shortened figures. Altogether, 6 years are deleted. Who came to power during those six missing years? In chart form the three reigns appear thus:
 

Teutamus	31	1210-1179
	(6 missing years)	(1179-1173)
Teutaeus	40	1173-1133
Thinaeus	29	1133-1104

Did a new dynasty perhaps arise in the years 1179-1173? Was there a king who ruled 6 years at this period in Assyrian history? Indeed. These years witness the rise of the royal house of the city of Assur. Its first king, Assur-dugul, reigned 6 years. In his sixth year -- 1174-1173 -- some kind of internal catastrophy hit the city, for six kings came to the throne during the sixth and last year of Assur-dugul. Was there a special event that befell Mesopotamia in the year 1174-1173?
The year 1174-1173 was the first year of king Sumu-abum of the First Dynasty of Babylon: Heretofore no parallel event could account for the sudden appearance of government at Babylon in 1174. A major revolution in Assyria would have been necessary to allow a rival power to rise in the city Babylon, which had had no political power since the days of Nimrod.

With this period as a starting point it is now possible to complete the list of kings of the city Assur and fill in the sum of the two missing reigns.
 

Kings of the City Assur	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Assur-dugul, "son of a 'nobody'"	6	1179-1173
Assur-apla-idi, "son of a 'nobody'";
Nasir-Sin, "son of a 'nobody'":
Sin-namir, "son of a 'nobody'":	"together exercised sovereignty for a BAB TUPPISU", that is, the remainder of an official year
Ipqi-Istar, "son of a 'nobody'";
Adad-salulu, "son of a 'nobody'';
and Adasi, "son of a 'nobody'"		1174-1173
Belu-bani, son of Adasi	10	1173-1163
Libaiiu	17	1163-1146
Sarma-Adad (I)	12	1146-1134
En-tar-Sin, son of Sarma-Adad	12	1134-1122
Bazzaiiu, son of Belu-bani	28	1122-1094
Lullaiiu, "son of a 'nobody"'	6	1094-1088
Su-Ninua, son of Bazzaiiu	14	1088-1074
Sarma-Adad, son of Su-Ninua	3	1074-1071
Erisu, son of Su-Ninua	13	1071-1058
Samsi-Adad, son of Erisu	6	1058-1052
Isme-Dasan, son of Samsi-Adad	16	1052-1036
Samsi-Adad, son of Isme-Dasan, son of Su-Ninua	16	1036-1020
Assur-nerari, son of Isme-Dasan	26	1020- 994
Puzur-Assur, son of Assur-nerari	14	994- 980
Enlil-nasir, son of Puzur-Assur	13	980- 967
Nur-ili, son of Enlil-nasir	12	967- 955
Assur-saduni, son of Nur-ili	1 month	955
Assur-rabi (I), son of Enlil nasir, deposed Assur-saduni, and seized the throne	---	---
	(25)	(955-930)
Assur-nadin-ahhe (I), son of Assur-rabi (I)	---	---
Enlil-nasir (II) deposed his brother Assur-nadin-ahhe	6	930-924,
		etc.

The lengths of the reigns of Assur-rabi and Assur-nadin-ahhe are broken away on every document. But the preceding restoration of contemporary history supplies the total length of the missing figures -- 25 years (955-930) -- a very reasonable figure for the passage of one generation. The reigns of Enlil-nasir and his successors to 692 have been presented in a former section.
With this chart the restoration of Assyrian history is complete for all datable reigns.
The next chapter will connect the history of Media, India and Japan with the Assyrian Empire and with famous Queen Semiramis III, the thrice-born "Queen of Heaven."
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