Hammurabi III (reigned -

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 king of

Yamhad Yamhad was an ancient Semitic people, Semitic kingdom centered on Aleppo, Ḥalab (Aleppo), Syria. The kingdom emerged at the end of the 19th century BC, and was ruled by the Yamhad dynasty, Yamhadite dynasty kings, who counted on both military ...

(

Halab )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

) succeeding Yarim-Lim III.

Identity

Hammurabi III is probably a son of Yarim-Lim III, however there is two confusions regarding his identity.

Confusion with Hammurabi II

Hammurabi III was thought to be the same king Hammurabi mentioned in Alalakh tablets AlT 21,22 but it is known that Yarim-Lim III was the king of Yamhad during the destruction of Alalakh and the Hittite annals (dating after the destruction of Alalakah) mention king Hammurabi, son of Yarim-Lim III, therefore the

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 ...

in tablets AlT 21,22 can not be the same king as Hammurabi the son of Yarim-Lim III, which led to the distinction between the two monarchs. The Hammurabi mentioned in AlT 21,22 is Hammurabi II, a predecessor to Yarim-Lim III while the Hammurabi mentioned in the Hittite annals is Hammurabi III, son of Yarim-Lim III. The tablets of

Alalakh Alalakh (''Tell Atchana''; Hittite: Alalaḫ) is an ancient archaeological site approximately northeast of Antakya (historic Antioch) in what is now Turkey's Hatay Province. It flourished, as an urban settlement, in the Middle and Late Bronze Ag ...

(the main source for the life of Aleppan Kings) ended with

Hattusili I Ḫattušili (''Ḫattušiliš'' in the inflected nominative case) was the regnal name of three Hittite kings: * Ḫattušili I (Labarna II) * Ḫattušili II * Ḫattušili III It was also the name of two Neo-Hittite kings: * Ḫattušili I (Laba ...

's destruction of Alalakh. This led to the information about Aleppo being scarce.

Confusion with Hammurabi Son of Ammitakum

Hammurabi III is mentioned in the annals of Hattusili I. Another confusion about his identity arose due to the fact that

Ammitakum Ammitakum II was the last king of the ancient Mesopotamian city Alalakh. Archaeologists unearthed a large number of tablets detailing Ammitakum's reign. These documents showed that many citizens of Alalakh were indebted to him. Ammitakum purchased ...

, king of Alalakh's son and heir was also named

. Ammitakum appointed his son as his successor in the presence of Yarim-Lim III, the Hittite texts in connection to the Aleppan wars mentions Yarim-Lim III as the king of Aleppo, also they mentions Hammurabi of Aleppo, son of a king whose name is destroyed. Which caused Michael B. Rowton to give two possibilities about the identity of this Hammurabi, the first is that Hammurabi III was the son of Ammitaqum, the second is that Hammurabi III was the son of Yarim-Lim III, Benno Landsberger believes that Hammurabi of Alalakh is identical with Hammurabi III of Yamhad.

War with the Hittites

Hattusili I conducted a series of destructive campaigns against Aleppo and its vassals during the reign of Yarim-Lim III. He continued his campaigns against Hammurabi, and finally attacked Aleppo the capital but was repelled, wounded and ultimately died of his wounds in ca. 1620 BC. Before his death, Hattusili proclaimed his young grandchild Mursili as his heir. The Hittite attacks stopped temporarily until Mursili reached manhood. The new Hittite king's attack was characterized with personal need for revenge against Hammurabi and Aleppo, he wanted to avenge Hattusili's blood as it is written in a Hittite text. Mursili's onslaught was decisive: he destroyed Aleppo and moved the captives and booty to

Hattusa Hattusa (also Ḫattuša or Hattusas ; Hittite: URU''Ḫa-at-tu-ša'', Turkish: Hattuşaş , Hattic: Hattush) was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of ...

, ending the kingdom of Yamhad as a power in the

Near East The ''Near East''; he, המזרח הקרוב; arc, ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ; fa, خاور نزدیک, Xāvar-e nazdik; tr, Yakın Doğu is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the hist ...

around ca. 1600 BC.

Fate and Succession

The Hittite texts mentions that the king of Aleppo was captured and made atonement to Mursili. How Hammurabi made this atonement is unknown, as is his ultimate fate. Aleppo was rebuilt, after the assassination of Mursili, by Sarra-El a prince of Aleppo (probably a son of Yarim-Lim III) who regained the throne. But Yamhad never regained its former status.

References

Citations

{{reflist, 2 17th-century BC rulers Kings of Yamhad People from Aleppo Amorite kings Yamhad dynasty 17th-century BC people