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Today we discuss the rise of the Assyrian empire. From the Old Assyrian Empire to the Neo Assyrians we discuss how the technological developments of the Iron Age radically transformed the empire-building powers of the ancient world and the ways it impacted the religious ideologies of the Assyrians. We dissect the militaristic culture and its consequences for gender relations, sexuality, and concepts of law. We discuss the imperial tactics of the Assyrians and how kingship and religion intersect to produce the visage of the heroic or imperial king who demonstrates his divine right through conquest and great hunts. We analyze the text of Ashurbanipal and the adoption of law back by the threat of violence. Finally we conclude by setting the stage of the ancient near east divided between the Hittites, Egyptians, and the Neo-Assyrians and the context for ancient Israelite religion.
