h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ashur & Assyria

I have a brief comment regarding the article “Assyria and Astara”. I am an Assyrian myself and my name is Ashur. Actually your story is quit amazing, but there is one rather a small detail that misplace it completely, and that is, the meaning of the word Ashur. The Assyrians, like for instance me, are a Semitic speaking people like Hebrews and Aramians. Ashur is on of the oldest names in the history and goes back for thousands of years ago, probably before any Indo-European tribes made their entry into ancient history. At the time (about 3. millennium BC ) the Assyrians were a highly civilized nation of city-states.
The name Ashur meant so much to the Assyrians like no other name have ever had the same importance for any other nation or religion. Assyria ( Mat-Ashshur in old Assyrian language) means Land of Ashur the God and Assyrian ( Nishet Ashshur )means People of Ashur the God. So Assyrian was both nation and religion at the same time.
The Assyrians regarded other nations, like those Indo-European tribes, as barbarians with no sophisticated civilization. The wars that the Assyrian kings waged on and against other nations was based on the belief, that Ashur the god claimed the mastery of the entire world to transfer it into a more civilized and non-chaotic place to live.
Now there is one question linked to your story:
Would it be logical for us now to translate the old Assyrian name of Ashur based on the Indo-European language even though it is more appealing for some individuals, or to translate it regarding the Semitic roots which the Assyrians are a part of?
Here is the Semitic meaning of the name Ashur: The beginning.
It is even more logical when you contemplate the idea of the universal God Ashur, the creator of heaven and earth, not a prince or a comrade as you have suggested on the issue to our poor readers as it is a misleading revelation.
By the way the, the Assyrian empire could not be the first communist society. In the communist ideology the lands and properties belong to the masses or the people, in the Assyrian theo-idealogy
the lands and the people are the properties of the gods.
Better luck next time.


Any question regarding the Assyrians will be answered, as all are welcome to write to me on my e-mail address: [email protected]