Ashur

Ashur was the second son of Shem, the son of Noah. Ashur's brothers were Elam, Aram, Arpachshad and Lud.

The Hebrew text of Genesis 10:11 is somewhat ambiguous as to whether it was Ashur himself, or Nimrod who built the cities of Nineveh, Resen, Rehoboth-Ir and Nimrud in Assyria, since the name Ashur can refer to either the person or the country.

The 1st century Judaeo-Roman historian Flavius Josephus further gives the following statement: "Ashur lived at the city of Nineve; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most fortunate nation, beyond others” (Antiquities, i, vi, 4).