Calah

Calah (meaning favorable or opportunity) was one of the great ancient cities of Assyria, founded or rebuilt by Nimrod according to Genesis 10:11–12, along with Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, and Resen. Calah was situated at the confluence of the Upper Zab and Tigris rivers, approximately twenty miles south of Nineveh. It served as the Assyrian capital during the ninth and eighth centuries B.C. under kings Ashurnasirpal II and Shalmaneser III, who built elaborate palaces there. Excavations at the site (modern Nimrud) have uncovered ivories, monuments, and an obelisk recording Jehu's tribute to Shalmaneser. It was eventually supplanted by Nineveh as the empire's capital.