Just How Awful Were Those Assyrians?

Many of the Minor Prophets lived under that shadow of the Assyrian Empire with its capital city Ninevah.  Think - Jonah, Micah, Nahum and others.

In our sermon series, I refer to the Assyrians as "Brutal Conquerors" who did "unspeakable things" in their pride and power.  This seems like a good setting to get more specific and actually write - or quote - for the forewarned reader some details about those "unspeakable things."

The best single succinct statement we know is from Tim Keller's book, Jonah: The Prodigal Prophet.

Assyria was one of the cruelest and most violent empires of ancient times. Assyrian kings often recorded the results of their military victories, gloating of whole plains littered with corpses and of cities burned completely to the ground. The emperor Shalmaneser III is well known for depicting torture, dismembering, and decapitations of enemies in grisly detail on large stone relief panels. Assyrian history is “as gory and bloodcurdling a history as we know.” (Drika Bleibtreu, Biblical Archaelogy Review, Jan/Feb 1991) After capturing enemies, the Assyrians would typically cut off their legs and one arm, leaving the other arm and hand so they could shake the victim’s hand in mockery as he was dying. They forced friends and family members to parade with the decapitated heads of their loved ones elevated on poles. They pulled out prisoners’ tongues and stretched their bodies with ropes so they could be flayed alive and their skins displayed on city walls. They burned adolescents alive. (NIV Application Commentary. pp. 28-29) Those who survived the destruction of their cities were fated to endure cruel and violent forms of slavery. The Assyrians have been called a “terrorist state.” (NIV Application Commentary. pp. 28-30)

The empire had begun exacting heavy tribute from Israel during the reign of King Jehu (842–815 BC) and continued to threaten the Jewish northern kingdom throughout the lifetime of Jonah. In 722 BC it finally invaded and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and its capital, Samaria. 

Yet it was this nation that was the object of God’s missionary outreach. Though God told Jonah to “proclaim against” the city for its wickedness, there would have been no reason to send a warning unless there was a chance of judgment being averted, as Jonah knew very well (Jonah 4:1–2).

Keller, Timothy. The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy (pp. 10-12). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

 

Grace - "the chance of judgement being averted."  May we know and speak of that as well.