Untash-Napirisha was king of
Elam (in present-day southwest Iran) during the Middle Elamite period, circa 1300 BCE. He was the son of the previous
Elamite
Elamite, also known as Hatamtite and formerly as Susian, is an extinct language that was spoken by the ancient Elamites. It was used in what is now southwestern Iran from 2600 BC to 330 BC. Elamite works disappear from the archeological record ...
king,
Humban-Numena. He was named after
Napirisha
Napirisha (Linear Elamite: ''Napirriša'') was an Elamite deity from the region of Anshan, and was the main deity of the kingdom from at least the late 3rd millennium BCE. In Elamite, his name means "Great (-''ša'') God (''napir'')"; in cuneifo ...
, an Elamite deity.
He founded and built extensively a new city, Dur-Untash, 40 km SE of
Susa, modern
Chogha Zanbil. He built extensively in this city, and its main temple, the famous
Ziggurat
A ziggurat (; Cuneiform: 𒅆𒂍𒉪, Akkadian: ', D-stem of ' 'to protrude, to build high', cognate with other Semitic languages like Hebrew ''zaqar'' (זָקַר) 'protrude') is a type of massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia. It has ...
, still stands there. Although construction in this religious city complex abruptly ended after Untash-Napirisha's death, the site was not abandoned, but continued to be occupied until it was destroyed by the Assyrian king
Ashurbanipal in 640 BC.
Untash Napirirsha also left numerous building inscriptions for more than 50 temples and buildings, either built or renovated during his reign, in
Chogha Zanbil,
Susa, Choga Gotvand and other places.
A later Elamite letter from Berlin
Pergamon Museum
The Pergamon Museum (; ) is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. It was built from 1910 to 1930 by order of German Emperor Wilhelm II according to plans by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann in Stripped Clas ...
(VAT17020) mentions that he was married to “the daughter of Burna-buriash (a Babylonian king) and she bore him a son (and the future Elamite king) Kidin-hudurdish (Hutran)". If this was the Babylonian king
Burna-Buriash II
Burna-Buriaš II, rendered in cuneiform as ''Bur-na-'' or ''Bur-ra-Bu-ri-ia-aš'' in royal inscriptions and letters, and meaning ''servant'' or ''protégé of the Lord of the lands'' in the Kassite language, where Buriaš (, dbu-ri-ia-aš₂) is a ...
, then the reign of Untash-Napirisha could be dated ca 1340–1300 BC. However, some scholars consider a different model for the synchronism between Kassite dynasty in Babylone and the Elamite kings, and suggest that the mentioned Burna-buriash was a later prince, and that the reign of Untash-Napirisha could be dated ca. 1275–1240 BC; see, for example The Berlin Letter, Middle Elamite Chronology and Sutruk-Nahhunte I's Genealogy.
File:Axe Sb 3973.jpg, Axe bearing the name of the king Untash-Napirisha.
File:Untash king Axe.jpg, Axe inscribed with the name of King Untash-Napirisha
File:Tchogha_Zanbil.jpg, The Ziggurat at Chogha Zanbil was built by Untash-Napirisha.
Image:Untash Napirisha stele Louvre Sb12.jpg, Fish-tailed deity holding snakes. Stele of Untash Napirisha, sandstone, ca. 1340–1300 BC, brought from Tchoga Zanbil to Susa in the 12th century BC.
References
Elamite people
14th-century BC rulers
Elamite kings
Igihalkid Dynasty
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