Tudiya or Tudia ( akk, 𒂅𒁲𒅀, Ṭu-di-ia) was according to the ''

Assyrian King List The king of Assyria (Akkadian: ''Išši'ak Aššur'', later ''šar māt Aššur'') was the ruler of the ancient Mesopotamian kingdom of Assyria, which was founded in the late 21st century BC and fell in the late 7th century BC. For much of its ear ...

'' (AKL) the first Assyrian monarch, ruling in Assyria's early period, though he is not attested in any known contemporary artefacts. He is listed among the “seventeen kings who lived in tents.” His existence is unconfirmed archaeologically and uncorroborated by any other source. According to the list, Tudiya was succeeded by Adamu.

Similarities with Hammurabi genealogy

Tudiya is succeeded on the Assyrian King List by Adamu and then a further fifteen rulers: Yangi, Suhlamu, Harharu, Mandaru, Imsu, Harsu,

Didanu Didanu ( akk, 𒁲𒁕𒀀𒉡, Di-da-a-nu) was according to the ''Assyrian King List'' (AKL) the 9th Assyrian monarch, ruling in Assyria's early period, though he is not attested in any known contemporary artefacts. He is listed among the "''seven ...

, Hana,

Zuabu Zuabu ( akk, 𒍪𒀀𒁍, Zu-a-bu) was according to the ''Assyrian King List'' (AKL) the 11th Assyrian monarch, ruling in Assyria's early period, though he is not attested in any known contemporary artefacts. He is among the "''seventeen kings wh ...

, Nuabu, Abazu, Belu, Azarah,

Ushpia Ushpia ( akk, 𒍑𒉿𒀀, Uš-pi-a) was according to the ''Assyrian King List'' (AKL) the 16th Assyrian monarch, ruling in Assyria's early period, though he is not attested in any known contemporary artefacts. The list places him as the second la ...

, and

Apiashal Apiashal ( akk, 𒀀𒉿𒀀𒊩, A-pi-a-ŠAL) was according to the ''Assyrian King List'' (AKL) the 17th Assyrian monarch, ruling in Assyria's early period. He has been listed within the section of the ''AKL'' as the last of whom, "''altogether ...

. Nothing concrete is yet known about these names, although it has been noted that a much later Babylonian tablet listing the ancestral lineage of

Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian: ; ) was the sixth Amorite king of the Old Babylonian Empire, reigning from to BC. He was preceded by his father, Sin-Muballit, who abdicated due to failing health. During his reign, he conquered Elam and the city-states ...

of Babylon, seems to have copied the same names from Tudiya through Nuabu, though in a heavily corrupted form: Tudiya's name seems to be joined with that of Adamu to appear there as ''Tubtiyamutu''. Note from a reader: We read that many scholars claim that Babylon was founded before Assyria, here we see that 17 kings succeeded on the throne of Assyria before any mention to Babylon being even existent.

Alleged attestations and disproval

In initial archaeological reports from

Ebla Ebla ( Sumerian: ''eb₂-la'', ar, إبلا, modern: , Tell Mardikh) was one of the earliest kingdoms in Syria. Its remains constitute a tell located about southwest of Aleppo near the village of Mardikh. Ebla was an important center t ...

, it appeared that Tudiya's existence was confirmed with the discovery of a tablet where it was stated that he had concluded a treaty for the operation of a '' kārum'' in Eblaite territory, with "King"

Ibrium Ibrium (2322-2302 BC), also spelt Ebrium, was the vizier of Ebla for king Irkab-Damu and his successor Isar-Damu. Ibrium is attested to have campaigned against the city of Abarsal during the time of vizier Arrukum. He took office after Arrukum d ...

of Ebla (who is now known to have instead been the vizier of the King

Isar-Damu Isar-Damu (reigned c. 2320 BC), was the king ( Malikum) of the first Eblaite kingdom. Isar-Damu fought a long war with Mari which ended in Eblaite victory; he was probably the last king of the first kingdom. Reign Isar-Damu succeeded his father ...

of Ebla.) This entire reading is now questionable, as several scholars have more recently argued that the treaty in question was not with king Tudiya of Assur at all, but rather with the unnamed king of an uncertain location called "Abarsal".

Geopolitical context

Oligarchy

The king lists suggest that the earliest Assyrian kings, who are recorded as, “kings who lived in tents,” had at first been independent semi-nomadic pastoralist rulers, moreover; Assyria was originally an

oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...

rather than a monarchy. These kings had at some point become fully urbanized and founded the city-state of

Assur Aššur (; Sumerian: AN.ŠAR2KI, Assyrian cuneiform: ''Aš-šurKI'', "City of God Aššur"; syr, ܐܫܘܪ ''Āšūr''; Old Persian ''Aθur'', fa, آشور: ''Āšūr''; he, אַשּׁוּר, ', ar, اشور), also known as Ashur and Qal ...

.Saggs, ''The Might'', 24.

References

Bibliography

Edmond Sollberger Edmond Sollberger, FBA (12 October 1920 – 21 June 1989) was a Turkish-born, Swiss–British museum curator, cuneiformist and scholar of the Sumerian language. Early life and education A Swiss citizen, Sollberger was born in Istanbul on 12 Oc ...