The earliest historical records of Anatolia stem from the south east of the region, and are from the Mesopotamian based Akkadian Empire during the reign of Sargon of Akkad in the 24th century BC.

The Akkadian Empire reached its political peak between the 24th and 22nd centuries BC, following the conquests of its founder Sargon of Akkad ( 2334 – 2279 BC ).

The first known mention of the city of Akkad is in an inscription of Enshakushanna of Uruk, where he claims to have defeated Agade — indicating that it was in existence well before the days of Sargon of Akkad, whom the Sumerian King List claims to have built it.

Sargon has often been cited as the first ruler of a combined empire of Akkad and Sumer, although more recently discovered data suggests there had been Sumerian expansions under previous kings, including Lugal-Anne-Mundu of Adab, Eannatum of Lagash, and Lugal-Zage-Si.

Sargon of Akkad ( Sharru-kin = " legitimate king ", possibly a title he took on gaining power ; 24th century BC ) defeated and captured Lugal-Zage-Si in the Battle of Uruk and conquered his empire.

These alleged refugees claimed the ancestry of Sargon of Akkad ( whose dynasty died out some 15 centuries before the fall of Assyria ), they also contradictionally claimed ancestry from Nabopolassar, a Babylonian king of Chaldean extraction who played a major part in the destruction of the Assyrian Empire.

Additionally, the claimants to this ancestry also claim descendancy from Sargon of Akkad ( whose dynasty died out over 1500 years before the Assyrian dynasty fell ), and from Nabopolassar, who was a Chaldean, politically and militarily opposed to Assyria, and not in fact an Assyrian.

Two, from the Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa ( compiled in Babylon around 1700 BCE ) are reported to have been made during the reign of king Sargon of Akkad ( 2334 – 2279 BCE ).

The earliest mention of the city of Babylon can be found in a tablet from the reign of Sargon of Akkad, dating back to the 24th century BC.

The tablet, measuring, is usually dated from the dynasty of Sargon of Akkad between 2500-2300 BC ; an even earlier date for the tablet was promulgated by archeologist Leo Bagrow, placing it in the Agade Period ( 3800 BC ).

The Eblaite civilization was likely conquered by Sargon of Akkad around 2260 BCE ; the city was restored as the nation of the Amorites a few centuries later and flourished through the early second millennium BCE until conquered by the Hittites.

In this millennium, larger empires succeeded the last, and conquerors grew in stature until the great Sargon of Akkad pushed his empire to the whole of Mesopotamia and beyond.

* Sargon the Great, founder of the empire of Akkad and Sumer ( 2371 – 2316 BC middle chronology )

The earliest mention of the city of Babylon can be found in a tablet from the reign of Sargon of Akkad ( 2334-2279 BC ), dating back to the 23rd century BC.

* Sargon of Akkad, founder of the Akkadian Empire and the earliest empire builder in recorded history

2300 BC was incorporated into the Mesopotamian based Akkadian empire of Sargon the Great and Naram-Sin of Akkad ( Biblical Accad ).

* c. 2332 BC — Sargon of Akkad starts to rule

Beginning with Lugal-zage-si and the Third Dynasty of Uruk ( which was defeated by Sargon of Akkad ), a better understanding of how subsequent rulers fit into the chronology of the ancient Near East can be deduced.

In addition the story of Moses ' origins shares a similarity with that of Sargon of Akkad, and the Ten Commandments mirror Assyrian-Babylonian legal codes to some degree.

Hegemony, which came to be conferred by the Nippur priesthood, alternated among a number of competing dynasties, hailing from Sumerian city-states traditionally including Kish, Uruk, Ur, Adab and Akshak, as well as some from outside of southern Mesopotamia, such as Awan, Hamazi, and Mari, until the Akkadians, under Sargon of Akkad, overtook the area.

His empire was overthrown by Sargon of Akkad.

* Akkadian Empire period: c. 2334 – 2218 BC ( Sargon )

* 2334 BC – 2279 BC: ( short chronology ) Sargon of Akkad's conquest of Mesopotamia.

Sumerians ( who spoke a language isolate ) remained largely dominant in this synthesised Sumero-Akkadian culture however, until the rise of the Akkadian Empire under Sargon the Great in 2334 BCE which united all of Mesopotamia under one ruler.

The new king of Assyria Sargon II attacked and deposed Marduk-apla-iddina II in 710 BC.

Sennacherib ( pronounced ; Akkadian: Sîn-ahhī-erība " Sîn has replaced ( lost ) brothers for me ") was the son of Sargon II, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria ( 705 – 681 BC ).

Bas-relief from the king Sargon II's palace at Dur Sharrukin in Assyria ( now Khorsabad in Iraq ), c. 713 – 716 BC.

* 722 BC: Israel is conquered by Assyrian king Sargon II.

* 717 BC: Assyrian king Sargon conquers the Hittites stronghold of Carchemish.

* 717 BC: Sargon II founds a new capital for Assyria at Dur-Sharrukin.

* 705 BC: Sennacherib succeeds Sargon II as king of Assyria.

* 723 BC — Sargon succeeds Shalmaneser V as king of Assyria.

The origins of falconry have been traced to Mesopotamia and the earliest record comes from the reign of Sargon II ( 722 – 705 BC ).

* 2279 BC — Death of Sargon I

A stela found 1845 in Kition commemorates the victory of king Sargon II ( 721-705 BC ) in 709 over the seven kings in the land of Ia ', in the district of Iadnana or Atnana.

An Israelite revolt ( 724 – 722 BCE ) was crushed after the siege and capture of Samaria by Sargon II.

Sumerian references to the Mar. tu (" tent dwellers " – considered to be Amorite ) country West of the Euphrates date from even earlier than Sargon, at least to the reign of the Sumerian king, Enshakushanna of Uruk.

* 717 BC – 716 BC — Sargon II leads his armies in a sweeping attack along the Philistine coast, where he defeated the pharaoh.

* Sargon I ( r. 1920 BC – 1881 BC ), Assyrian king

* Sargon II ( r. 722 BC – 705 BC ), Assyrian king

* Sargon Boulus ( 1944 – 2007 ), Assyrian-Iraqi poet.

After their exodus from the Pontic steppe the Cimmerians probably assaulted Urartu ( Armenia ) about 714 bc, but in 705, after being repulsed by Sargon II of Assyria, they turned towads Anatolia and in 696 – 695 conquered Phrygia.

* 721-715 BC – Sargon II mentions a land of Gamirr near to Urartu.

* 705 – Sargon II of Assyria dies on an expedition against the Kulummu.

Prior to Sennacherib's reign ( 704 – 681 BCE ), Harran rebelled from the Assyrians, who reconquered the city ( see 2 Kings 19: 12 and Isaiah 37: 12 ) and deprived it of many privileges – which King Sargon II later restored.

Sargon II ( Akkadian Šarru-ukin " he the god made firm the king ", Arabic: ' reigned 722 – 705 BC ) was an Assyrian king.

Sargon was succeeded by his son Sennacherib ( Sin-ahhe-eriba, 705 – 681 BC ).

Khumbanigash ( 743 – 717 ) supported Merodach-baladan against Sargon II, apparently without success ; while his successor, Shutruk-Nakhkhunte II ( 716 – 699 ), was routed by Sargon's troops during an expedition in 710, and another Elamite defeat by Sargon's troops is recorded for 708.