Concerning Assur-nasir-habal or Assur-nasir-pal (_i.e._, "Assur preserves
the son") we possess fuller historical records than of any other of the
Assyrian monarchs, and among these the following inscription is the most
important. From it, and from the inscription upon his statue discovered by
Mr. Layard [Footnote: Now in the British Museum.] in the ruins of one of
the Nimroud temples, we learn that he was the son of Tuklat-Adar or
Tuklat-Ninip, that he reigned over a territory extending from the "Tigris
to the Lebanon, and that he brought the great sea and all countries from
the sunrise to the sunset under his sway." These inscriptions are
published in the "Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia," Vol. I, plates
17 to 27, and were partially translated by Professor Oppert, "_Histoire
des Empires de Chaldée et d'Assyrie,_," page 73 and following "_Extrait
des Annales de philosophie chrétienne_" tom. IX, 1865.
There is considerable difficulty and a consequent divergence of opinion as
to the precise date when Assur-nasir-pal ascended the throne. But he most
probably reigned from 883 to 858 B.C.
It need scarcely be remarked that Assur-nasir-pal is a different person
from the well-known Sardanapalus of classic writers, or Assur-bani-pal,
the son of Esar-haddon, who reigned from about B.C. 668 to 625.
It will be seen from the inscription that the campaigns of Assur-nasir-pal
took place in the mountains of Armenia, in Commagene and the provinces of
the Pontus, inhabited by the Moschi [Footnote: The Mesek of Psalm cxx. 5.]
and other tribes. He probably advanced into Media and a portion of western
Persia. The countries on the banks of the Euphrates submitted to his arms,
and in one of his expeditions he vanquished Nabu-bal-iddin, King of
Babylon. Westward, he reduced the southern part of Syria, and advanced to
the mountain chains of the Amanus and Lebanon, but though he penetrated as
far as to Tyre and Sidon and exacted tribute from both as well as from
Byblus and Aradus, he did not subdue Phoenicia. The kingdoms of Israel and
Judah, under the sway of Ahab and Jehosaphat, were no doubt too powerful,
as is evinced by the armies which they must have maintained for their
struggle with the Syrians, [Footnote: See 2 Chron. xvii. and following
chapters.] for Assur-nasir-pal to have ventured upon attacking them. This
feat was reserved for his successors on the throne of Assyria.
The inscription was found in the ruins of the Temple at the foot of the
Pyramid at Nimroud (Calach).