Nineveh, seen in this artist's impression, was the most-populated city of ancient Assyria, as well as its capital. Observers in the city made records of a solar eclipse in 763 BCE.
Key Takeaways:
- A near-total solar eclipse occurred on June 15, 763 BCE, over northern Assyria.
- The eclipse was recorded in Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, within the Eponym Canon, a chronicle inscribed on clay tablets.
- The Eponym Canon's entry notes the eclipse alongside an insurrection in the city of Assur, occurring within the month of Sivan.
- This documented eclipse serves as a key chronological marker for the ancient Near East, with potential implications for refining the timelines of early biblical events, including the eras of Jonah and Amos.
On June 15, 763 BCE, a near-total solar eclipse occurred over northern Assyria and was recorded by observers in Nineveh, the capital city. This event is preserved in the Eponym Canon, a list of historical events made by the Assyrians on clay tablets, following a specialized calendar system. The text notes: “Insurrection in the City of Assur. In the month of Sivan, the Sun was eclipsed.” This account is a crucial part of anchoring the chronology of the ancient Near East; as it is possibly alluded to in the Bible, historians also have used it to improve the chronology of early biblical times, particularly the eras of prophets Jonah and Amos.
