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GoRGUS. Of the origin, revolutions, and termination of 

 Affyria, properly fo called, and diftinguifhed from tlie grand 

 monarcliy which afterwards bore this appellation, the fol- 

 lowing account is given by Mr. Playfair, as the mod pro- 

 bable. The founder of it was Afliur, the fecond fon of Sliem, 

 who departed from Shinar, upon the ufurpation of N!m- 

 rod, at the head of a large body of adventurers, and laid the 

 foundations of Nineveh, where he refided, and ere£led a new 

 kingdom, called AfTyria after his name. See Ashur. 

 Gen. X. i£. Thefe events happened not long after Nim- 

 rod had eftabliflied the Chaldean monarchy, and fixed his 

 refidencc at Babylon ; but it does not appear that Nimrod 

 reigned in Affyria. The kingdoms of ASfyrh r.nd Babylon 

 were originally diftinft and feparale ( Micah, v. ^i. ) ; and 

 in this ftate they remained until Ninus conquered Babylon, 

 and made it tributary to the AfTyrian empire. Ninus, the 

 fuccelTor of Afhur (Gen. x. ii. Diod. Sicul. \.i.y, feized 

 on Chaldxa after the death of Nimrod, ^nd united the 

 kingdoms of AfTyria" and Babylon. This great prince is 

 faiJ to have fubdued Afia, Perfia, Media, Egypt, &c. If 

 lie did fo, the effects of his conquefts were of no long dura- 

 tion; for, in the days of Abraham, we do not find that any 

 of the neighbouring kingdoms were fubjeft to AfTyria. 

 Ninus was fucceeded by Semiramis, a princefs bold, enter- 

 prifing, and fortunate; of whofe adventures and exploits 

 iiiany fabulous relations have been recorded. Playfair is 

 of opinion, that there were two princeiTes of this name who 

 fiouridied at different periods : one, the confort of Ninus, 

 and another, who lived five generations before Nitocris, 

 queen of Nebuchadnezzar. Eufeb. Chron. p. 58. Herod. 

 Li. c. 184. See Semiramis. Of the fucceffors of Ninus 

 and Semiramis nothing certain is recorded. The laft. of 

 the ancient Affyrian kings was Sardanapalus, who was be- 

 Ceged in his capital by Arbaces, governor of Media, in 

 concurrence with the Babylonians. Thefe united forces 

 defeated the Affyrian army, demohlhed the capital, and 

 became mailers of the empire, B.C. 821. See Arbaces, 

 and Sardanapalus. Such is the fubflance of the account 

 given by Ctefias, and after him by feveral ancient Greek 

 and Latin writers; and particularly by Diodorus Siculus. 

 Thefe writers have referred the com.mencement of the 

 Affpian empire to about fixty or feventy years after Noah's 

 flood; but concerning its beginning, as well as its duration, 

 ancient wTiters have given very different accounts. Afri- 

 canus and Eufebius fuppofe that Ninus, the fecond Affyrian 

 king, began to reign 309 years after the flood, and 43 years 

 before the birth of Abraham. Berofus, the Chaldasan 

 hiftorian, dates the foundation of the empire from the build- 

 ing of the tower of Babel, about 1 3 1 years after the flood. 

 Calfiodonis admits an interval of more than four centuries 

 between thefe two remarkable events. Uiher extends this 

 interval to 1085 years; and Jackfon reduces it to 531. As 

 to the period of the duration of this empire, Ctefias, Dio- 

 dorus, and others, make it 1360 years; Juftin, 1300; 

 Caftor, 1280; Synctllus, 1460; Scaliger, 1306; Eufebius, 

 1240; Velleius Paterculus, 1070; Herodotus, 520; and 

 Appian makes the whole duration of the Affyrian, Median, 

 and Perfian empires, not to exceed 9C0 years. In Blair's 

 Tables the commencement of the Affyrian empire is alfigned 

 to the year before Chrift, 2059, and its termination to the 

 year before Chrift 820; fo that its whole duration compre- 

 hends 1239 years. Goguet refers the conqueft of Babylon 

 by Ninus, king of Affyria, and the confequent union of the 

 Babylonian throne with that of Nineveh, to the 590th year 

 after the flood, or the l75Sth year B.C. In fettling this 

 date, he places the foundation of the kingdom of Babylon 

 by Nimrod, about the year 150 after the flood. This kinj- 



VOL. III. 



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dom, as mod chroiiologcrs allow, had fuLfifted 440 year»» 

 under two dillinft dynaftics or families, at th.> time oF 

 Babylon's being taken by the AfTyrians. The firft of thefe 

 dynafties, whofe kings were Ch;.ld?;ans, poffcffed the throne 

 225 years; and the iccond, originally from Arabia, reigned 

 215 years; and the total is 440 years. If to thefe yeirs 

 we add 150 years from the flood to the foun'lation of 

 Babylon by Nim.rod, the capture of Babylon will fall in 

 the 590th year after the flood, and confequently in the 

 1758th year B. C. After the capture of Ba' .-'.on, the two 

 monarchies formed one ftate, under the name of the Affyrian 

 empire. From this time the kingdom of Babylon was no 

 m.ore than a province of the Affyrian empire, to the time 

 in which the revolt of the Medes give the Babylonians an 

 opportunity of fhaking- off the Affyrian yoke^ about 770 

 B. C. As moft of thefe computations are primarily bor- 

 rowed from Ctefias, it may not be improper to inquire how 

 far his teftimony is credible. Ariftotle, v'ho was almoft 

 his contemporary, declares him to be unworthy of credit ; 

 and his hlftory of India evinces him to be a fabulous writer. 

 Although he gives us the names of the Affyrian kings from 

 Belus and his fon Ninus to Sardanapalus, the laft ting of 

 that monarchy, yet his lift is a mere medley of Greek, 

 Pei-fian, Egyptian, and other names ; and except in two or 

 three inftances, they have no afftnity with tl.e nam.es of the 

 Affyrians mentioned in fcripture. The true empire of the 

 Affyrians, defcribed in fciipture, whofe kings were Pul, 

 Tiglath-pilefer, occ. he does not mention, though much 

 nearer to his own times ; and this circumftance fliews that 

 he was ignorant of the antiquities of the Affyrians. 



After the death of Sardanapalus, fays Mr. Playfair, the 

 Affyrian empire was divided into three kingdoms; viz. the 

 Median, Aflyrian, and Babylonian. Arbaces retained the 

 fupreme authority, and nominat.-d governors in Affyria and 

 Babylon, who were honoured with the title of kings, while 

 they remained fubjecl and tributary to the PerCan monarchs. 

 Belefis, he fays, a Chaldian prieft, who affifttd Arbaces 

 in the conqueft of Sardanapalus, received the government 

 of Babylon as the reward of his fervices ; and Phul was 

 entrufted with that of Affyria. The Affyrian governor 

 gradually enlarged the boundaries of his kingdom, and was 

 fucceeded by Tiglath-pilefer, Salmanafar, and Scimacherib, 

 who Sfferted and maintained their independence. After 

 the death of Affar-haddon, the brother and fucceffcfof-' 

 Sennacherib, the kingdom of Affyria was fplit, and annexed 

 to the kingdoms of Media and Babylon. Several tributary- 

 princes afterwards reigned in Nineveh ; but we hear no more 

 of the kings of Affyria, but of thofe of Babylon. Cyaxares, 

 king of Media, affilled Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in 

 thefiege of Nineveh, which theytookand deftroyed B.C.606. 



The hiftory of Affyria, deduced from fcripture, and ac- 

 knowledged as the only authentic one by fir Ifaac Newton 

 and many others, afcribes the foundation of the monarchy 

 to Pul or Phul, about the fecond year of Menahem, king of 

 Ifrael, twenty-four years before the jeraof Nabonnaffar, 1579 

 years after the flood, and according to Blair 769, or accord- 

 ing to Newton 790, years before Chrift. Merahcm havi 'g 

 taken forcible poffeffion of the throne of Ifrael by the 

 murder of Shallum (2 Kings,xv. 10.), was attacked by Pul, 

 but prevented the hoftilities meditated agaicft him, by pre- 

 fenting the invader with a thoufand talents of filver. Pul. thus 

 gi-atified, took the kingdom of Ifrael under his prrtcdion, 

 returned to his own country, after having received voluntary 

 homage from feveral nations in his march, as he had done 

 from Ifrael, and became the founder of a great empire. 

 As it was in the days of Pul that the Affyrians began to 

 afflia the inhabitants of Pakftine (2 Kings xi. 9. and 

 T I Chron. 



