The Neo-Assyrian Empire in the Southwest Imperial Domination and its Consequences

The Assyrian empire – the first large empire of the ancient world – had fascinated the public imagination ever since the spectacular discoveries of the 19^th century.  The southwestern periphery of this empire –the lands of the Bible – boasts the richest archaeological dataset in the world, and along with various historical sources including the Hebrew Bible, provides a detailed case-study for the study of ancient empires and imperialism. The book analyzes the nature of Assyrian imperial control and its impact on the region’s settlement, demography and economy, and shed light on Assyrian imperial interests, tactics, and strategies, exposing the limitations of imperial control, and even the ways later empires overcame these limits.

• An unparalleled, detailed exploration of the southwestern region of the Assyrian empire, both prior to Assyrian conquest and under its domination
• Presents a comparative analysis between distinct political and ecological zones to investigate the impact of ecology and politics on the outcome of imperial conquest and control
• A wider perspective on the Southern Levant offers new insights into the role of distant provinces in the economic and political structure of ancient empires, the challenges posed by distance, and the various ways later ancient empires overcame these challenges