Statue of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II
Ashurnasirpal II (Akkadian: Aššur-nāṣir-apli, meaning "Assyria's guardian of the heir") was king of the Assyrian Empire from 883 to 859 BC. He succeeded his father, Tukulti-Ninurta II, in 883 BC. During his reign, he embarked on a major expansionist campaign, first conquering the peoples to the north in Asia Minor and imposing tribute on Phrygia, then he invaded Aram (modern Syria) and conquered the Arameans and Neo-Hittites between the Khabur and the Euphrates River.
It was found in the middle of the nineteenth century in the city of Kalah (Nimrud) by archaeologist Henry Layard and dates back to the historical period between 883-859 BC.
It represents the creativity of craftsmen and high ability, and it is now preserved in the British Museum in its collection since 1851.
The statue was found in the temple of the goddess Ishtar and is 113 cm tall
On the king’s chest are eight lines of cuneiform inscriptions that announce the king’s titles and lineages, and mention the military campaign he led from the Tigris to Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea, which is believed to be the White Sea.
The British Museum
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