Lamassu Falling
A Novelette of Ancient Assyria in the Days of Jonah
Nineveh, the great city, enters a time of tribulation as punishment for its cruelty. Terrible plagues rage throughout the land. Pestilence consumes man and beast. Food riots erupt. An ominous portent appears in the sky over Nineveh. Night descends on the city at midday, foretelling its doom. Violence erupts throughout the land. The armies of Assyria are devastated by endless wars. A prophet of the true God arrives at Nineveh. He warns that the great city will fall in forty days. A cruel and murderous pagan high priest demands child sacrifice to ward off further tribulation. Victims are slain at the temple of Ishtar, the bloodthirsty war goddess of Assyria. A bold and noble woman opposes child sacrifice. She seeks help to rescue children from the temple of Ishtar. A trio of mighty heroes leads a fierce and daring assault against the temple to rescue the children. A war hero fights the pagan high priest in one-on-one mortal combat. The king hears the word of the prophet. He is compelled to respond wisely as the fate of Nineveh hangs in the balance. The Ninevites are about to have their rendezvous with destiny. They must believe the prophet, repent, and turn to God for mercy, or be destroyed by the wrath of God.
The images below will introduce you to several characters in the story.
Gadol Elohai.
Adorina
Adorina is the daughter of the governor and high official of Nineveh. She believes the prophet of God and befriends him, incurring the wrath of Nineveh’s pagan priests. They snatch her for sacrifice at the temple of Ishtar.
Rabbu
Rabbu is a great swordsman, a war hero, and Adorina’s lover. Many foes of Assyria fell by a stroke of Rabbu’s sword. He is disheartened when he reflects on Assyria’s cruel wars of conquest. Rabbu battles to save Adorina from the pagan priests.
Tamraz
Tamraz is a mighty spearman and war hero. He is as tall as a giant and as strong as a bull. When Tamraz throws a spear, he impales his enemies like balls of meat on a skewer. He joins his best friend Rabbu in the battle to save Adorina from the pagan priests.
Saliba
Saliba is a mighty axeman and war hero. When he swings his axe, heads roll and limbs fly. He joins his friends Rabbu and Tamraz in the battle to save Adorina from the pagan priests.
Nabukinuzur
Nabukinuzur is the governor and high official of Nineveh. He is suspicious of the prophet of God. But when he witnesses a miracle, he believes the prophet and decides to present him to the king of Assyria.
Malkuno
Malkuno is a cruel, vile, power-hungry pagan high priest who demands child sacrifice. He plots to murder the prophet and the governor, and to seize total power over Nineveh. He has a special execution in mind for Adorina.
Jonah
Jonah is God’s reluctant prophet to the wayward people of Nineveh. He warns the Ninevites that their great city will be overthrown in forty days, incurring the wrath of the pagan priests.
Ashurdan
Ashurdan is the king of Assyria. Initially, he is skeptical about Jonah. But on the good advice of one of his servants, he believes Jonah’s message and issues a decree of mass repentance to the people of Nineveh.
More than a fish story
If you read the book of Jonah in the Old Testament, you know how the story ends for Jonah and the great city of Nineveh.
If you want to know what becomes of Adorina, Rabbu, Tamraz, Saliba, Malkuno, and the other heroes, villains, pagans, prophets, and victims in the story, read the book, available on Amazon and wherever fine books are sold.
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