Interesting Facts

• Asshur is identified as one of the five sons of Shem.
• Along with his brothers, Asshur is credited with building cities and naming them after themselves.
• The cities of Nineveh, Resen, Calach, and Rehobother are specifically attributed to the building efforts of Asshur and his children.
• After the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, Asshur and his descendants went to a distant land and settled in a large valley, where they built their cities.

Genealogy

• Asshur’s father was Shem, one of the three sons of Noah who survived the great flood.
• His brothers were Elam, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
• The sources mention that Asshur had children and a household who accompanied him when he built the cities. The specific names of his sons, however, are listed as Mirus and Mokil in one source.
• Asshur’s lineage contributed to the repopulation and organization of the earth after the flood.

Historical Context

Asshur’s life took place in the post-diluvian world, a period marked by the imperative to repopulate the earth and establish new societies. Following the great flood, Noah imparted instructions to his sons and their descendants, emphasizing righteousness, covering nakedness, honoring God and parents, loving neighbors, and avoiding the sins that led to the flood. The division of the earth among Noah’s sons allocated a portion in the east to Shem and his offspring, encompassing regions such as India, Susan, and the Red Sea coast, providing a general geographical context for Asshur’s eventual settlements. A significant event during this era was the construction of the Tower of Babel, an act of rebellion that led to the confusion of languages and the subsequent scattering of mankind across the earth. Asshur’s activities, including the building of cities, occurred within this context of repopulation, moral instruction, and the dispersal following the linguistic division.

Narrative

The narrative of Asshur, son of Shem, primarily revolves around his role in the early stages of rebuilding civilization after the flood and the subsequent dispersal from Babel. He is identified as one of the key descendants of Noah tasked with repopulating the earth. A significant action attributed to Asshur and his lineage is the building of several prominent cities: Nineveh, Resen, Calach, and Rehobother. This act of establishing settlements underscores his contribution to the organization and development of the post-flood world. Following the confounding of languages at the Tower of Babel, Asshur, along with his children and household, migrated to a distant land, where they discovered a vast valley suitable for settlement. Their construction of these cities and the act of naming them reflect a process of claiming territory and establishing identity in the newly divided world. While the sources do not detail personal interactions or specific motivations of Asshur, his legacy is cemented through the establishment of these significant early urban centers, indicating a foundational role in the history of the regions they occupied. His story highlights the initial stages of human expansion and societal organization after the flood, driven by the need to rebuild and the consequences of the events at Babel.