On the brink of destruction: one of the most powerful Assyrian kings left behind a mysterious message
An Assyrian marble memorial stele over two meters tall, featuring reliefs of three kings and a cuneiform inscription, was uncovered near the Shamash Gate in Nineveh. The discovery was made in joint excavations by Iraqi archaeologists and the University of Chicago, and dates to the seventh century BCE.
An extraordinary archaeological discovery has been made in the city of Nineveh, Iraq: an Assyrian marble memorial stele over two meters tall, dating to the seventh century BCE. The find was uncovered in joint excavations by Iraqi archaeologists and the University of Chicago, near the Shamash Gate on the eastern wall of the ancient city. According to initial assessments by experts from the Iraqi Antiquities Council, the monument documents engineering projects and a construction enterprise initiated by King Ashurbanipal. The front of the stele bears a relief of Ashurbanipal, while the back features reliefs of two other Assyrian kings. An extensive cuneiform inscription was carved into the stone, the deciphering of which has not yet been completed. The article links the decline of the Assyrian Empire to the period of King Josiah's reign in Judah and the religious reform he led.