Ashurbanipal was the ruler of the Assyrian empire in the 7th century BCE. His 38-year reign was marked by both scholarship and a terrifying brutality.

Research:
"Babylon." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2025. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2FBabylon%2F11618&ebboatid=9265928. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.
Ashurbanipal Library Project. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/asbp/index.html
" Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631000306/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=f497ef8d. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.
Bonatz, Dominik. “Ashurbanipal's Headhunt: An Anthropological Perspective.” Iraq , 2004, Vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part One (2004). https://www.jstor.org/stable/4200564
“Ashurbanipal.” https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/ashurbanipal
Fincke, Jeanette C. “The British Museum's Ashurbanipal Library Project.” Iraq , 2004, Vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part One (2004). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4200559
Hughes, Tristan. “Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria.” The Ancients podcast. 8/20/2025. https://shows.acast.com/the-ancients/episodes/ashurbanipal-the-last-great-king-of-assyria
Osborne, James. “He tried to conquer knowledge itself – instead this ancient Mesopotamian king resorted to rule with terror.” History Extra. 8/14/2025. https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/he-tried-to-conquer-knowledge-itself/
Taylor, Jonathan. 'About the project', Ashurbanipal Library Project, The Ashurbanipal Library Project, Department of the Middle East, The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, 2022 http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/asbp/Abouttheproject/
The British Museum. “Who was Ashurbanipal?” https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/who-was-ashurbanipal
Urbanus, Jason. “Royal Bibliophile.” Archaeology. Jul/Aug2024, Vol. 77 Issue 4, p40-41.
Wilkes, Jonny. “Ashurbanipal 'the Great', the Lion of Assyria.” History Extra. https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/who-was-ashurbanipal-lion-assyria-facts/
Wiseman, Donald John. "Ashurbanipal". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ashurbanipal. Accessed 17 August 2026
Wisnom, Selena. “The Library of Ashurbanipal.” History Today. 4/4/2025. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/library-ashurbanipal

Ashurbanipal was the ruler of the Assyrian empire in the 7th century BCE. His 38-year reign was marked by both scholarship and a terrifying brutality.
Research:
<ul>
<li>"Babylon." Britannica Library, Encyclop&aelig;dia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2025. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&amp;ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2FBabylon%2F11618&amp;ebboatid=9265928. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.</li>
<li>Ashurbanipal Library Project. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/asbp/index.html</li>
<li>" Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631000306/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&amp;sid=bookmark-GPS&amp;xid=f497ef8d. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.</li>
<li>Bonatz, Dominik. &ldquo;Ashurbanipal's Headhunt: An Anthropological Perspective.&rdquo; Iraq , 2004, Vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part One (2004). https://www.jstor.org/stable/4200564</li>
<li>&ldquo;Ashurbanipal.&rdquo; https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/ashurbanipal</li>
<li>Fincke, Jeanette C. &ldquo;The British Museum's Ashurbanipal Library Project.&rdquo; Iraq , 2004, Vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part One (2004). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4200559</li>
<li>Hughes, Tristan. &ldquo;Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria.&rdquo; The Ancients podcast. 8/20/2025. https://shows.acast.com/the-ancients/episodes/ashurbanipal-the-last-great-king-of-assyria</li>
<li>Osborne, James. &ldquo;He tried to conquer knowledge itself &ndash; instead this ancient Mesopotamian king resorted to rule with terror.&rdquo; History Extra. 8/14/2025. https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/he-tried-to-conquer-knowledge-itself/</li>
<li>Taylor, Jonathan. 'About the project', Ashurbanipal Library Project, The Ashurbanipal Library Project, Department of the Middle East, The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, 2022 http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/asbp/Abouttheproject/</li>
<li>The British Museum. &ldquo;Who was Ashurbanipal?&rdquo; https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/who-was-ashurbanipal</li>
<li>Urbanus, Jason. &ldquo;Royal Bibliophile.&rdquo; Archaeology. Jul/Aug2024, Vol. 77 Issue 4, p40-41.</li>
<li>Wilkes, Jonny. &ldquo;Ashurbanipal 'the Great', the Lion of Assyria.&rdquo; History Extra. https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/who-was-ashurbanipal-lion-assyria-facts/</li>
<li>Wiseman, Donald John. "Ashurbanipal". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ashurbanipal. Accessed 17 August 2026</li>
<li>Wisnom, Selena. &ldquo;The Library of Ashurbanipal.&rdquo; History Today. 4/4/2025. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/library-ashurbanipal</li>
</ul>

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Ashurbanipal was the ruler of the Assyrian empire in the 7th century BCE. His 38-year reign was marked by both scholarship and a terrifying brutality.

Ashurbanipal

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