Niqmi-Epuh, also given as Niqmepa (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 his father Yarim-Lim II

Reign

Cuneiform legal tablet in case from Aleppo

Little of Aleppo has been excavated by archaeologists, knowledge about Niqmi-Epuh comes from tablets discovered at

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 ...

. His existence is confirmed by a number of tablets with his seal on their envelope Yarim-Lim king of Alalakh, uncle of Yarim-Lim II and vassal of Yamhad died during Niqmi-Epuh's reign and was succeeded by his son

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 ...

, who started to assert Alalakh's semi-independence. The tablets mention Niqmi-Epuh's votive status which he dedicated to

Hadad Hadad ( uga, ), Haddad, Adad (Akkadian: 𒀭𒅎 '' DIM'', pronounced as ''Adād''), or Iškur ( Sumerian) was the storm and rain god in the Canaanite and ancient Mesopotamian religions. He was attested in Ebla as "Hadda" in c. 2500 BCE. ...

and placed it in that deity's Temple. Tablet AlT*11 informs of his return from Nishin, a place not known before, but certainly inside the territory of Yamhad because the tablet seems to refer to travel and not a military campaign. Niqmi-Epuh's most celebrated deed was his conquest of the town Arazik, near

Charchemish Carchemish ( Turkish: ''Karkamış''; or ), also spelled Karkemish ( hit, ; Hieroglyphic Luwian: , /; Akkadian: ; Egyptian: ; Hebrew: ) was an important ancient capital in the northern part of the region of Syria. At times during i ...

, the fall of this city was important to the extent of being suitable for dating several legal cases.

Niqmi-Epuh Seal

The seal of Niqmi-Epuh includes his name written in cuneiform inscription. The king is depicted wearing a crown, facing two goddesses, one in Syrian dress, while and the other is wearing Babylonian dress.

Death and succession

Niqmi-Epuh died ca. 1675 BC. He seems to have a number of sons, including

Irkabtum Irkabtum (reigned c. Middle 17th century BC - Middle chronology ) was the king of Yamhad (Halab) succeeding his father Niqmi-Epuh. Reign Irkabtum is referred to in an old Hittites, Hittite letter fragment, but he is known primarily through the Ala ...

who succeeded him immediately, prince Abba-El, and possibly

Yarim-Lim III Yarim-Lim III (reigned c. Middle 17th century BC - c. 1625 BC - Middle chronology) was the king of Yamhad (Halab) succeeding Hammurabi II. Reign Yarim-Lim ascended the throne at a time of internal disintegration for Yamhad, combined with foreign ...

Hammurabi III Hammurabi III (reigned - Middle chronology) was the king of Yamhad (Halab) 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 ...

the last king before the

Hittites The Hittites () were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara (before 1750 BC), then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-cent ...

conquest might have been his son too.

References

Citations

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