Calah

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An Assyrian city. According to Genesis (10:11) it was built by Nimrod who also built Nineveh and the city of Rehoboth. Called Kalhu in Assyrian, the city was already in existence in the time of Hammurabi (second half of the 18th century B.C.). Ashurnasirpal attributes its "making" to Shalmaneser I (c. 1300 B.C.), which probably means that he rebuilt it and made it his capital. From that time onwards it served as one of the capitals of the kingdom along with the cities of Ashur and Nineveh.

Calah is situated at the junction of the river Great Zab and the river Tigris (Hiddekel) and is identified with Nimrud. The largest of the buildings was the ziggurat, which was built of bricks and lined with stone, and stood about 130 feet (40 m) high. Excavations at Nimrud uncovered the palaces of the Assyrian kings of the neo-Assyrian period. The palace walls were decorated with reliefs and paintings. The rooms contained many finds taken as spoil from Judah and Israel including a rich collection of ivories. Other important monuments found were the palace of Esarhaddon and the obelisk of Shalmaneser III. The city was surrounded by a wall strengthened with 108 towers, enclosing an area of more than 60 acres (24 ha).

Concordance
Gen 10:11-12