ASSYRIA

Biblical GN

1.

A great Eastern empire (2 Nephi 17:17, 18, 20=Isaiah 7:17, 18, 20; 2 Nephi 18:4, 7 = Isaiah 8:4, 7; 2 Nephi 20:12=Isaiah 10:12;; 21:16=Isaiah 11:11, 16.)

This biblical GN is the English rendering of the original Assyrian language name of their homeland, Aššur, and the city of the same name, probably after their patron god, Aššur. As has been pointed out, the biblical genealogies give “Asshur, . . . the son of Shem” (1 Chronicles 1:17) as the eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians (Reynolds, DBM 85).

Assyria is the name of an ancient Near Eastern land located in Mesopotamian, after the Assyrian name.