Sarra-El also written Šarran (reigned Early 16th century 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 a prince of Yamhad who might have regained the throne after the assassination of the Hittite king

Mursili I Mursili I (also known as Mursilis; sometimes transcribed as Murshili) was a king of the Hittites 1620-1590 BC, as per the middle chronology, the most accepted chronology in our times, (or alternatively c. 1556–1526 BC, short chronology), and wa ...

Identity and Relation to the Royal Family

Sarra-El is known through the Seal of his son

Abba-El II Abba-El II (reigned middle 16th century BC - Middle chronology) was the king of Halab (formerly Yamhad) who reigned after the withdrawal of the Hittites. Reign Abba-El is known through his Royal Seal used by his descendant Niqmepa, King of Alalakh ...

used by

Niqmepa Niqmepa (died 1270 BC) was the fifth-from-last King of Ugarit, a city-state in northwestern Syria. Reign He was the son of Niqmaddu II, and the brother and successor of Arhalba. Niqmepa was installed by the Hittite king Mursili II after forcin ...

king 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 ...

as a dynastic seal. The seal describes Abba-El II as the beloved of

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. F ...

, the title used by the kings of Yamhad, Niqmepa was the son of

Idrimi Idrimi was the king of Alalakh c. 1490–1465 BC, or around 1450 BC. He is known, mainly, from an inscription on his statue found at Alalakh by Leonard Woolley in 1939.Longman III, Tremper, (1991)Fictional Akkadian Autobiography: A Generic and C ...

who was a descendant of the old Kings of Yamhad, Idrimi's father

Ilim-Ilimma I Ilim-Ilimma I (reigned middle 16th century BC - c. 1524 BC - Middle chronology) was the king of Yamhad (present-day Halab) succeeding his father Abba-El II. Reign Ilim-Ilimma is known through the inscriptions found on the Statue of his Son Idrimi ...

was probably the son of Abba-El II. These facts confirms that Sarra-El was a prince of Yamhad, Sarra-El name is also mentioned in two Alalakh Tablets (AlT 79 and AlT 95), in the later tablet his name came after the name of princess Bintikidiya and prince

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-state ...

the heir of Alalakh. This indicates the royal status of Sarra-El, which led prof. Michael C. Astour to believe that Sarra-EL is the probable son of

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 foreig ...

Reign

Idrimi's and Niqmepa's inscriptions indicate that Sarra-El was a prince of Yamhad but he is not confirmed as a king. Prof.

Trevor R. Bryce Trevor Robert Bryce (; born 1940) is an Australian Hittitologist specializing in ancient and classical Near-eastern history. He is semi-retired and lives in Brisbane. His book, ''The Kingdom of the Hittites'', is popular among English-speaking ...

believes him to be the king who restored the royal family of Yamhad, others such as Astour and prof. Eva Von Dassow attribute this to his son Abba-El II. Aleppo was rebuilt and became the capital again soon after the assassination of Mursili I, but the name Yamhad went out of use, and the monarch's title became the King of Halab. Mursili died around ca. 1590 BC

, and the restoration happened not very long after his death, which would put Sarra-El's reign (if he was a king) in the first quarter of the 16th century BC

Successor and the Kingdom of Halab

The date of Sarra-El's death is not known. Abba-El II is confirmed as Sarra-El's son and successor through his royal seal. In the next decades Aleppo regained Niya, Mukis (Alalakh region) and Ama'u. , -

References

Citations

{{reflist, 2 16th-century BC rulers Kings of Yamhad People from Aleppo Amorite kings Yamhad dynasty 16th-century BC people