Iddi-ilum, also Iddi-El or Iddin-El (, ''i-ti-ilum''; died 2085 BC), was a military governor, or '' Shakkanakku'', of the ancient city-state of Mari in eastern

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, following the conquest, the destruction and the control of the city by Akkad. Iddi-ilum was contemporary of the

Third Dynasty of Ur The Third Dynasty of Ur or Ur III was a Sumerian dynasty based in the city of Ur in the 22nd and 21st centuries BC ( middle chronology). For a short period they were the preeminent power in Mesopotamia and their realm is sometimes referred to by ...

, and probably their vassal. His headless statue, the '' Statue of Iddi-Ilum'' was discovered at the

Royal Palace of Mari The Royal Palace of Mari was the royal residence of the rulers of the ancient kingdom of Mari in eastern Syria. Situated centrally amidst Syria, Babylon, Levant, and other Mesopotamian city-states, Mari acted as the “middle-man” to these larg ...

during excavations directed by French archaeologist

André Parrot André Charles Ulrich Parrot (15 February 1901 – 24 August 1980) was a French archaeologist specializing in the ancient Near East. He led excavations in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, and is best known for his work at Mari, Syria, where he led imp ...

. The statue was made of

soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium-rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in sub ...

and bears an inscription identifying the figure and dedicating it to the goddess

Ishtar Inanna is the List of Mesopotamian deities, ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, and fertility. She is also associated with political power, divine law, sensuality, and procreation. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akk ...

Inanna Inanna is the List of Mesopotamian deities, ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, and fertility. She is also associated with political power, divine law, sensuality, and procreation. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akk ...

. The statue is now displayed at the

Musée du Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. The inscription on the statue reads:

Statue of Iddi-ilum

File:Idi-ilum Louvre AO 19486 n02.jpg, The inscription on the bottom of the statue (front) File:Idi-ilum Louvre AO 19486 n03.jpg, The inscription on the bottom of the statue (back) File:Mari-ki in cuneiform on the statue of Iddi-Ilum.jpg, upright=0.7, "Country of Mari" (

Cuneiform Cuneiform is a Logogram, logo-Syllabary, syllabic writing system that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Near East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. Cuneiform script ...

: , ''Mari-ki''), on the statue of Iddi-Ilum

References

{{Early Rulers of Mesopotamia 21st-century BC monarchs Kings of Mari 22nd-century BC births 21st-century BC deaths