Bible Location

Calah

Also known as: Calah (Nimrud) - Assyrian city

Calah was a major ancient Assyrian city identified with the archaeological site of Nimrud in northern Iraq. Genesis 10:11-12 places Calah among the cities associated with the early development of Assyria.

The city became particularly important many centuries later when the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II made it his royal capital in the ninth century BC. Successive kings constructed enormous palaces, temples, fortifications, and administrative buildings there.

Calah should be distinguished from Assur, the older religious center of Assyria, and Nineveh, which later became the empire's principal royal capital.

Biblical Significance

Genesis 10:11-12 includes Calah within the description of the earliest cities of Assyria following the Table of Nations. It appears together with Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, and Resen.

Although Calah receives little additional direct attention by name in Scripture, its later importance as an Assyrian capital connects it closely with the empire that profoundly affected Israel and Judah.

From Calah and other Assyrian royal centers, kings administered the expanding imperial system whose western campaigns eventually resulted in the conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel and invasions of Judah.

Historical Background

Calah, modern Nimrud, became a royal capital under Ashurnasirpal II in the ninth century BC. He undertook an enormous rebuilding program and constructed the Northwest Palace, temples, walls, and other monumental structures.

Later Assyrian kings continued to use and embellish the city. Archaeologists discovered monumental stone reliefs, colossal guardian figures, ivories, inscriptions, royal tombs, and extensive evidence of Assyrian court culture.

The city declined after Assyria's political center shifted elsewhere and was destroyed during the collapse of the Neo-Assyrian Empire near the end of the seventh century BC.

Modern Identification

Calah is securely identified with Nimrud on the Tigris River system south of Mosul in northern Iraq. Ancient inscriptions and archaeological evidence leave little doubt concerning the identification.

The archaeological remains represent one of the most important sources of information about the Neo-Assyrian Empire, although the site suffered severe deliberate destruction and looting in the twenty-first century.

Scripture References

Genesis 10:11

Related Resources

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Sources

Bible: Genesis 10:11-12; British Museum collections and research concerning Nimrud; archaeological publications on Kalhu/Calah; historical studies of Ashurnasirpal II and the Neo-Assyrian Empire