Black Flags and the Secret of Ishtar

The Black Flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS): https://www.businessinsider.com/afp-how-iss-black-flag-became-the-symbol-of-modern-jihad-2015-10

Standing atop the castle wall, young Balian saw the ominous signs of black flags rapidly approaching from the distance. Recently, his vivid dreams had foreshadowed the sight of the black flags. Balian did not know that the black flags represented barbaric evil and extinction for him and the people of Tal’Afar, an ancient Northern Iraqi city of Tal’Afar that laid 60 miles east of Mosul. The black flags in the distance belong to the oppressive and murderous Islamic State.

For centuries, Tal’Afar’s unique landmark was the ancient castle visible from all directions. The castle was known to the ancient kings of Nineveh mentioned in the Bible. Later, foreign conquerors such as Alexander the Great, the Romans, and Mongols used the fortress and built upon its foundations. Later, the Ottoman Turks conquered the castle and served as a fortress between the Ottoman and Persian Empires. Unbeknown to Balian and his older brother Anum, the castle and surrounding area were unique because of their family’s links to an ancient ruler.

The North Wall of the Castle in Tal’Afar.

To an outsider, modernity appeared to have skipped Tal’Afar. Anum remarked that the American soldiers he interacted with joked that their city looked like it belongs in…