Nisroch The god of Nineveh, in whose temple Sennacherib was assassinated by his sons (2 Kings 19:37; Isaiah 37:38). From nisr Arabic (Hebrew nesher, "eagle"), with the intensive och, "the great eagle." The eagle headed human figure that overcomes the lion or bull, depicted in colossal size upon the walls and the portals, and in the groups upon the embroidered robes; a type of the supreme God. Philo Bybl. in Eusebius, Praepar. Evang. i. 10 says first Zoroaster taught that Ormuzd the Persian god was symbolized by the eagle's head. The constellation Aquila represented it.
Nisroch may be a corruption for Asarak, Assar (related to Asshur), an Assyrian god met with in many Assyrian proper names. Septuagint in many copies have for N. Asorach, Esorach, for which Josephus (Ant. 10:1, section 5) has Araskes. Sir H. Rawlinson says "Asshur had no temple in Nineveh in which Sennacherib could have been worshipping." Jarchi explains Nisroch "a beam of Noah's ark." Nisroch is apparently the eagle headed winged figure, with cone in one hand and basket in the other, taken from the N.W. palace, Nimrud. G. Rawlinson says Nisr is not found with this meaning, and Nisroch nowhere in the inscriptions; Nisroch he regards as a corruption.