Assyrian Empire Gallery

The Dr. Norman Solhkhah Family Assyrian Empire Gallery allows you to encounter the vase expense of the Assyrian empire. Experience the inside of an Assyrian palace through carved wall reliefs, showing a royal hunting scene and the presentation of tribute, from the palace of king Sargon II at Dur-Sharurkin (modern Khorsabad). Additional highlights of the gallery include the Sennacherib Prism, a perfectly preserved record in cuneiform script of the reign of the Assyrian king Sennacherib that includes his sack of Jerusalem; a bronze figurine of the grotesque yet malevolent demon Pazuzu; and statues of divine attendants from the Nabu Temple at Dur-Sharrukin. Also displayed is a reappearance of panel G-13 from the Northwest Palace at Kalhu (Nimrud) by artist Michael Rakowitz, exhibited with an original relief fragment showing the king's head. The majority of objects in the Dr. Norman Solhkhah Family Assyrian Empire Gallery were excavated by ISAC’s Iraq Expedition (1929–35) at the archaeological site of Khorsabad (ancient Dur-Sharrukin, “Fortress of Sargon”). Additional objects on display demonstrate the geographical extent of the empire since they were excavated by ISAC at sites beyond the Assyrian heartland, including Nippur in southern Iraq and Tell Fakhariyah in Syria.

(As for) Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded (and) conquered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and smaller settlements ... I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage.

King Sennacherib Assyrian clay prism (7th century BCE)