Ancient Assyrian Empire and Culture

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Questions and Answers

What was the significance of Babylonia in the Assyrian empire?

It was a major agricultural region

It was the centre of high culture (correct)

It was the capital of the Assyrian empire

It was a military stronghold

What was the economy of the Assyrian empire like?

Predatory, extracting labour and tribute from a vast subject population (correct)

Industrial-based

Agriculture-based

Based on trade and commerce

What did Assurbanipal collect at his capital, Nineveh?

A treasury of gold and silver

A collection of art and artifacts

A library of tablets (correct)

A vast army

Why were towns in Babylonia famous?

They had huge collections of tablets Signup and view all the answers

Why were scribes in the south able to copy tablets by the dozen?

They were trained to read and write in schools Signup and view all the answers

What was the status of the Sumerian language after 1800 BCE?

It ceased to be spoken, but continued to be taught in schools Signup and view all the answers

What did Assurbanipal do with the tablets he collected?

He placed them in the library of the temple of his god, Nabu Signup and view all the answers

What was the purpose of the clay labels on baskets of tablets?

To catalog the contents of the tablets Signup and view all the answers

During which period did the Assyrian Empire reach its height?

720 to 610 BCE Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary economy of the Assyrian Empire described as?

Predatory Signup and view all the answers

What was significant about Babylonia according to the content?

It was acknowledged as the center of high culture. Signup and view all the answers

What was Assurbanipal’s role in the preservation of texts?

He collected and catalogued them. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was not mentioned as part of Assurbanipal's library?

Mathematics Signup and view all the answers

In what form was the Sumerian language still being taught after it ceased to be spoken?

Through vocabulary texts and bilingual tablets. Signup and view all the answers

What process helped ensure the intelligibility of cuneiform tablets in 650 BCE?

The ongoing education of scribes in schools. Signup and view all the answers

Which subject was the library of Assurbanipal noted for storing a significant number of tablets?

Exorcism Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Assyrian Empire

The Assyrian Empire, at its height between 720 and 610 BCE, stretched as far west as Egypt.
The state economy was predatory, extracting labor and tribute from a vast subject population.

Assurbanipal and His Library

Assurbanipal, the last great Assyrian king (668-627 BCE), collected a library at his capital, Nineveh.
He gathered tablets on various subjects, including history, epics, omen literature, astrology, hymns, and poems.
He sent scribes south to find old tablets, which were copied and cataloged.

Preservation of Sumerian Knowledge

Although Sumerian ceased to be spoken around 1800 BCE, it continued to be taught in schools through vocabulary texts, sign lists, and bilingual tablets.
This allowed Assurbanipal's men to understand and copy cuneiform tablets written as far back as 2000 BCE.

Characteristics of the Library

The library had around 1,000 texts, amounting to about 30,000 tablets, grouped according to subject.
Each basket of tablets had a clay label describing the content, such as "n number of tablets about exorcism, written by X".
Important texts, like the Epic of Gilgamesh, were copied with the copier's name and date.

The Assyrian Empire

The Assyrian Empire, at its height between 720 and 610 BCE, stretched as far west as Egypt.
The empire had a predatory economy, extracting labor and tribute in the form of food, animals, metal, and craft items from its subject population.

The Assyrian Kings

The great Assyrian kings, who were immigrants, acknowledged Babylonia as the center of high culture.
Assurbanipal (668-627 BCE) collected a library at his capital, Nineveh, containing tablets on history, epics, omen literature, astrology, hymns, and poems.
Assurbanipal sent his scribes to search for old tablets in the south.

The Sumerian Language

Although Sumerian ceased to be spoken after 1800 BCE, it continued to be taught in schools through various texts and lists.
Sumerian tablets written as far back as 2000 BCE were still intelligible in 650 BCE.
Copies of important texts, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, were made, with the copier stating their name and writing the date.

Assurbanipal's Library

Assurbanipal's library contained around 1,000 texts, amounting to about 30,000 tablets, grouped according to subject.
The library had a cataloguing system, with clay labels describing the contents of each basket of tablets.
Assurbanipal boasted of writing down the wisdom of the gods on tablets and placing them in the library of the temple of Nabu at Nineveh for the future.

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Description

This quiz covers the Assyrian Empire and its culture, including its economy, kings, and cultural achievements such as the library of Assurbanipal. Learn about the Assyrian Empire's history and significance.