Videos

Subscribe to us

Assyrian Cultural Foundation

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation (formerly known as AUAF) is a non-profit organization inspired by Assyrian heritage, serving as a bridge between traditions and different generations in the hopes of building a stronger, more connected community through our various programs.

YouTube Video VVVCZS1iREN2dEZLZEdQWm9RV2xjZUFRLk4yMkdKMVhtNHBZ

Watch as Milo Shabila and Stuart Benyamin connect with attendees at the 2026 Assyrian Food Festival, held at the Morton Grove Park District in the Chicagoland area.

Who were the first Assyrians – and what did it mean to be Assyrian 4,000 years ago?

In this lecture hosted by the Assyrian Cultural Foundation in Chicago, historian and Assyriologist Dr. Jonathan Valk takes us back to the very beginning of Assyrian history: the Old and Middle Assyrian periods (c. 2000–1050 BC). Drawing on thousands of cuneiform tablets – merchant letters from Kanesh in Anatolia, treaties, marriage contracts, royal inscriptions and the Assyrian coronation ritual – Dr. Valk reconstructs how ancient Assyrians described themselves, governed themselves, and drew the line between "us" and "them."

Among the topics covered:
- Why Assyrians can claim the oldest continually attested identity in history
- Ashur the city, Ashur the god and the "Sons of Ashur" (Mārū Aššur)
- The Ālum assembly and the Limmum: Assyria's early democracy with no kings
- The Assyrian merchant diaspora in Anatolia and the 23,000 tablets of Kültepe
- Trade monopolies, dual marriages (aššutum and amtum wives) and Assyrian solidarity abroad
- The fall of the old order under Shamshi-Adad and Puzur-Sin's failed restoration
- Ashur-uballit I and the birth of Assyrian kingship (Šar māt Aššur – "King of the Land of Assyria")
- The Middle Assyrian kingdom: palaces, the ruling class, the šiluḫlū laborers and deportation
- From Mārū Aššur to Aššurāyu: how an exclusive brotherhood became an inclusive imperial identity
- Continuity, rupture and renewal: what 4,000 years of history means for Assyrians today

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Jonathan Valk is a historian of the Ancient Near East and a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council's Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East. His work focuses on the social and economic history of Assyria and questions of identity and language in ancient imperial societies. He received his Ph.D. in Assyriology from New York University and currently leads the ERC project The Aramaization of the Middle East (2025–2030).

TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:32 The oldest continually attested identity
00:01:13 Who is Assyrian?
00:02:01 The anachronism trap
00:03:33 Overview of ancient Assyrian history
00:05:45 Ashur: the origin of Assyrian identity
00:08:36 The Old Assyrian period & the Kanesh tablets
00:10:30 Ashur the city, Ashur the god
00:11:46 "Sons of Ashur" (Mārū Aššur)
00:13:51 The Ālum assembly: an early democracy
00:15:09 The Limmum office
00:16:13 Princes, not kings
00:18:09 Assyrian merchant colonies in Anatolia
00:20:58 Letter: funding Ashur's city wall
00:21:55 Household & patriarchy
00:22:36 Assyrians vs. outsiders
00:23:22 The gold decree
00:23:54 "Brother may sell to brother"
00:24:37 Marriage in the diaspora
00:26:34 Letter: "Come here, or I'll marry a local"
00:27:23 Trade monopoly & legal protections
00:28:47 Assyrian solidarity abroad
00:30:27 Summary: the Old Assyrian world
00:31:48 Shamshi-Adad ends the old order
00:34:38 Puzur-Sin's failed restoration
00:36:18 The gap between the periods
00:36:53 The Late Bronze Age world
00:38:04 The Ālum assembly disappears
00:38:50 Ashur-uballit I: the first Assyrian king
00:40:31 The Assyrian King List
00:41:09 "Ashur is king!" – the coronation ritual
00:42:44 "Expand your land"
00:43:33 Middle Assyrian evidence
00:44:20 The Tukulti-Ninurta Epic
00:46:04 The palace system
00:47:27 The ruling class & the šiluḫlū
00:49:09 An inheritance of 999 laborers
00:51:41 Deportation & integration
00:52:28 A rigidly stratified society
00:53:31 A new diversity
00:54:49 Cultural openness
00:55:46 From Mārū Aššur to Aššurāyu
00:56:10 Kings of all humanity
00:57:52 Summary: the Middle Assyrian world
00:58:48 Two models of being Assyrian
01:00:08 On continuity
01:01:37 Rupture & renewal
01:02:25 The Assyrian present & future
01:03:47 Closing & Dr. Valk's book
01:04:00 End

Follow the Assyrian Cultural Foundation for more lectures, exhibitions and programs celebrating Assyrian history, language and culture.

#Assyrian #AssyrianCulturalFoundation #ACFchicago #AssyrianRenaissance

“Khora Khwara, Khora Kooma” is an original composition by Rasson Bet Yonan, presented as part of the 2023 Assyrian Renaissance, produced by the Assyrian Cultural Foundation.

Based on the beloved children’s story by renowned Assyrian artist and author Hannibal Alkhas, the composition transforms Assyrian storytelling into an orchestral and choral work celebrating friendship, culture, and artistic expression.

The performance was produced by Rabi Tiglat P. Issabey, with Barbara Bright-Read serving as Assistant Music Director, Mina Zikri as Conductor, and Andrew Major as Chorus Director.

This featured excerpt is taken from the full 2023 Assyrian Renaissance program, an initiative dedicated to celebrating and advancing Assyrian music, art, and cultural heritage through large-scale artistic productions.

Khora Khwara, Khora Kooma
Original Composition: Rasson Bet Yonan
Based on a Children’s Story by: Hannibal Alkhas
Produced by: Tiglat P. Issabey
Assistant Music Director: Barbara Bright-Read
Conductor: Mina Zikri
Chorus Director: Andrew Major

Produced by the Assyrian Cultural Foundation

#Assyrian #AssyrianRenaissance #AssyrianCulturalFoundation #RassonBetYonan #HannibalAlkhas #AssyrianMusic #AssyrianCulture #AssyrianHeritage

For a moment, everything comes together.

In the music, in the art, in the conversations, and in the moments you don’t always see; there’s something deeper holding it all together. A shared history. A shared identity.

Everything we do at the Assyrian Cultural Foundation comes from that place. Not just to celebrate our culture, but to carry it forward in a way that feels alive, relevant, and real.

The Assyrian Renaissance is just one part of that story.

And we’re only getting started.

#AssyrianRenaissance #ARCC26 #ACFchicago

GOAT Assyrian Food?

Is it Dolma? Pacha? Or even Girdu? Let's find out.

#Assyrian #AssyrianCulturalFoundation #AssyrianFoodFestival #AssyrianFood

Francesca and Emily are back at it again at this year's Assyrian Food Festival. Attended this year? See if you made the cut. Featuring some trivia and a friendship challenge.

#Assyrian #AssyrianculturalFoundation #ACFchicago #AssyrianFoodFestival

Load More Subscribe

Assyrian Cultural Foundation

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation (ACF) is a non-profit organization inspired by Assyrian heritage, serving as a bridge between traditions and different generations in the hopes of building a stronger, more connected community through our various programs.

Hours

Mon–Fri: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Sat: Closed Saturdays
Sun: Closed Sundays

Support our Fine Arts Program by purchasing artwork using our Fine Art America link. Click Here

Visit Us

Assyrian Cultural Foundation
4343 W. Touhy Avenue
Lincolnwood, IL 60712

Contact Us

Telephone: (773) 274-9262
Fax: (224)251-7620

General: General@acf-us.org

Art: Finearts@acf-us.org

Music: Music@acf-us.org

Tutoring: Tutoring@acf-us.org

Homecare-CCP-E-mail: info@homecare-aid.com

This is a Heading Example

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube