I hope it's okay to ask questions about contemporary interest in history. Why don't a lot of people know about the Assyrian Empire or have an interest in it? It was such a major early player. Did it not have quite enough direct influence on the development of Greek peoples for us to see it as an important piece of the timeline? Is everything pre-classical only of interest when it touches on our religions?
Most ancient Near Eastern societies do not get the attention they deserve, in my view!
There's a lot to say on the subject, but I touched upon some reasons for Egypt's popularity relative to Mesopotamia in Why has Ancient Egypt received so much more cultural and academic interest than other Near Eastern and African cultures?