Būr-Sîn (inscribed
d''bur''-
dEN.ZU), c. 1831 – 1811 BC (
short chronology
The chronology of the ancient Near East is a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Historical inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers: "in the year X of king Y". Com ...
) or c. 1895 – 1874 BC (
middle chronology
The chronology of the ancient Near East is a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Historical inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers: "in the year X of king Y". Com ...
) was the 7th king of the 1st Dynasty of
Isin
Isin (, modern Arabic: Ishan al-Bahriyat) is an archaeological site in Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, Iraq. Excavations have shown that it was an important city-state in the past.
History of archaeological research
Ishan al-Bahriyat was visited ...
and ruled for 21 years according to the ''Sumerian King List'',
[''Sumerian King List'', WS 444, the Weld Blundell prism.] 22 years according to the ''Ur-Isin king list''.
[''Ur-Isin king list'' MS 1686.] His reign was characterized by an ebb and flow in hegemony over the religious centers of
Nippur
Nippur ( Sumerian: ''Nibru'', often logographically recorded as , EN.LÍLKI, "Enlil City;"The Cambridge Ancient History: Prolegomena & Prehistory': Vol. 1, Part 1. Accessed 15 Dec 2010. Akkadian: ''Nibbur'') was an ancient Sumerian city. It was ...
and
Ur.
Biography
The titles “shepherd who makes Nippur content,” "mighty farmer of Ur," “who restores the designs for
Eridu
Eridu (Sumerian language, Sumerian: , NUN.KI/eridugki; Akkadian language, Akkadian: ''irîtu''; modern Arabic language, Arabic: Tell Abu Shahrain) is an archaeological site in southern Mesopotamia (modern Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq). Eridu was l ...
” and “''en'' priest for the ''mes'', for Uruk” were used by Būr-Sîn in his standard brick inscriptions in Nippur and Isin,
[For example, brick CBS 8642 from Nippur and brick IM 76546 from Isin.] although it seems unlikely that his rule stretched to Ur or Eridu at this time as the only inscriptions with an archaeological provenance come from the two northerly cities. A solitary tablet from Ur is dated to his first year, but this is thought to correspond to Abē-sarē’s year 11, for which several tablets attest to his reign over Ur.
He was contemporary with the tail end of the reign of
Abī-sarē, ca, 1841 to 1830 BC (short) and that of
Sūmú-El, c. 1830 to 1801 BC (short), the kings of
Larsa
Larsa ( Sumerian logogram: UD.UNUGKI, read ''Larsamki''), also referred to as Larancha/Laranchon (Gk. Λαραγχων) by Berossos and connected with the biblical Ellasar, was an important city-state of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult ...
. This latter king’s year-names record victories over Akusum,
Kazallu Kazalla or Kazallu is the name given in Akkadian sources to a city in the ancient Near East whose locations is unknown. Its god is Numushda.
History
Under its king Kashtubila, Kazalla warred against Sargon of Akkad in the 24th or 23rd century BC. ...
,
Uruk
Uruk, also known as Warka or Warkah, was an ancient city of Sumer (and later of Babylonia) situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates River on the dried-up ancient channel of the Euphrates east of modern Samawah, Muthanna Governorate, Al ...
(which had seceded from Isin), Lugal-Sîn, Ka-ida, Sabum,
Kiš, and village of Nanna-isa, relentlessly edging north and feverish activity digging canals or filling them in, possibly to counter the measures taken by Būr-Sîn to contain him.
Only nine of Būr-Sîn's own year-names are known and the sequence is uncertain. He seized control of
Kisurra
Kisurra (modern Tell Abu Hatab, Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, Iraq) was an ancient Sumerian '' tell'' (hill city) situated on the west bank of the Euphrates, north of Shuruppak and due east of Kish.
History
Kisurra was established ca. 2700 BC ...
for a time as two year-names are found among tablets from this city, possibly following the departure of
Sumu-abum
Sumu-Abum (also Su-abu) was an Amorite, and the first King of the First Dynasty of Babylon (the ''Amorite Dynasty''). He reigned between 1830–1817 BC (short chronology) or between 1897–1883 BC (middle chronology). He freed a small area of land ...
the king of
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
who “returned to his city.” The occupation was brief, however, as Sumu-El was to conquer it during his fourth year.
Other year-names record Būr-Sîn's construction of fortifications, walls on the bank of the Eurphrates and a canal. A year-name of Sumu-El records “Year after the year Sumu-El has opened the palace (?) of Nippur,” whose place in this king’s sequence is unknown.
[
A red-brown ]agate
Agate () is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate was common in Anci ...
statuette was dedicated to goddess Inanna
Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in Su ...
[Formerly in collection of Frau G. Strauss.] and an agate plate[LB 2120 in the Lagre Böhl collection.] was dedicated by the ''lukur'' priestess and his “traveling companion,” i.e. concubine, Nanāia Ibsa. A certain individual by the name of Enlil-ennam dedicated a dog figurine to the goddess Ninisina
Ninisina ( Sumerian: "Mistress of Isin") was a Mesopotamian goddess who served as the tutelary deity of the city of Isin. She was considered a healing deity. She was believed to be skilled in the medical arts, and could be described as a divine ph ...
for the life of the king. There are around five extant seals and seal impressions of his servants and scribes,[
]
External links
* Būr-Sîn year names a
CDLI
* An adab to Ninurta for Būr-Sîn a
* An adab to Enlil for Būr-Sîn a
Inscriptions
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bur-Suen
19th-century BC Sumerian kings
Dynasty of Isin