(anc. geogr.), the capital city of Assyria, founded by Ashur the son of Shem (Gen. x. 11); or, as others read the text, by Nimrod the son of Cush.

However this be, yet it must be owned, that Nineveh was one of the most ancient, the most famous, the most potent, and largest cities of the world. It is very difficult exactly to assign the time of its foundation; but it cannot be long after the building of Babel. It was situated upon the banks of the Tigris; and in the time of the prophet Jonah, who was sent thither under Jeroboam II. king of Israel, and, as Calmet thinks, under the reign of Pul, father of Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, Nineveh was a very great city, its circuit being three days' journey (Jonah iii. 4.) Diodorus Siculus, who has given us the dimensions of it, says it was 480 stades in circumference, or 47 miles; and that it was surrounded with lofty walls and towers; the former being 200 feet in height, and so very broad that three chariots might drive on them abreast; and the latter 200 feet in height, and 1500 in number; and Strabo allows it to have been much greater than Babylon. Diodorus Siculus was, however, certainly mistaken, or rather his transcribers, as the authors of the Universal History think, in placing Nineveh on the Euphrates, since all historians as well as geographers who speak of that city, tell us in express terms that it stood on the Tigris. At the time of Jonah's mission thither, it was so populous, that it was reckoned to contain more than six score thousand persons, who could not distinguish their right hand from their left (Jon. iv. 11.), which is generally explained of young children that had not yet attained to the use of reason; so that upon this principle it is computed that the inhabitants of Nineveh were then above 600,000 persons.

Nineveh was taken by Arbaces and Belesis, in the year of the world 3257, under the reign of Sardanapalus, in the time of Ahas king of Judah, and about the time of the foundation of Rome. It was taken a second time by Asyages and Nabopolassar from Chynaladanus king of Assyria in the year 3378. After this time, Nineveh no more recovered its former splendor. It was to entirely ruined in the time of Lucianus Samotatenis, who lived under the emperor Adrian, that no footsteps of it could be found, nor so much as the place where it stood. However, it was rebuilt under the Persians, and destroyed again by the Saracens about the seventh age.

Modern travellers say (a), that the ruins of ancient Nineveh may still be seen on the eastern banks of the Tigris, opposite to the city Mosul or Mousul: (See Mousul). Profane historians tell us, that Ninus first founded Nineveh; but the scripture assures us, that it was Ashur or Nimrod.

The sacred authors make frequent mention of this city; and Nahum and Zephaniah foretold its ruin in a very particular and pathetic manner.