Nimrod

• Nimrod's ancestry - "The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth." (Genesis 10:6-8)

• Nimrod's kingdom - "He was a mighty hunter before The Lord; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before The Lord." The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is, the great city." (Genesis 10:9-12)

• One of the most interesting facts about Nimrod is that he is considered to be the founder of both of the cities that grew into the great empires that would later conquer the divided kingdom of Israel -
  • Babylon, from which grew the Babylonian empire that conquered the southern kingdom of Judah with their capital at Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (see Why Babylon? and King Nebuchadnezzar)

  • Nineveh, from which grew the Assyrian empire that conquered the northern kingdom of Israel ("The Lost Ten Tribes") with their capital at Samaria in 721 B.C. (see Ancient Empires - Assyria)

Fact Finder: Which of Nimrod's cities did the prophet Jonah (most famous for his adventure with a whale) warn to repent?
Jonah 1:2
See also Nineveh