Suhum (Sūḫu, or Suhi) was an ancient geographic region around the middle course of the Euphrates River, in modern Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq.Edmonds, Alexander Johannes, "New Light on the Land of Sūḫu: A Review Article and new Political History", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 114, no. 1, pp. 58-83, 2024

History

Its known history covers the period from the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1700/1600 BCE) to the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

(c. 1200–700 BCE).

Middle Bronze

During the Old Babylonian period Suhum lay at the intersection between four powerful entities, Eshnunna, Ekallatum, Mari and Babylon which at various times exercise some element of control over it. A key city in Suhum during that time was Harrâdum which marked the border between Eshnunna and Mari and was founded by Eshnunna. During the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

, Suhum was divided into an Upper Suhum which stretched from Hindanum to Sapiratum, with its major city being Hanat, and a Lower Suhum. For a time Upper Suhum was controlled by Ipiq-Adad II of Eshnunna via a governor at Rapiqum. With the rise in power of Babylon, under Samsu-iluna, control shifted and Babylon governed Suhum under a governor stationed at Hanat. Suhum was under the control of Ekallatum during the reign of Shamshi-Adad I with a text reporting 1000 troops raised from there. Abi-epuḫ and Meptum were known to be governors of Suhum in that time. Several ancient letters place the Sutean people as having lived in the region of Suhum. A fragmentary text from the Old Babylonian period lists 40 workers from Suhum assigned to reaping at

Sippar Sippar (Sumerian language, Sumerian: , Zimbir) (also Sippir or Sippara) was an ancient Near Eastern Sumerian and later Babylonian city on the east bank of the Euphrates river. Its ''Tell (archaeology), tell'' is located at the site of modern Tell ...

. There was a necropolis at Al-Ussiyeh in Suhum. Other known cities of Suhum in the Old Babylonian period were Ayyabe, Dunnum, Harbe, Hurban (in Upper Suhum), Mulhan (northernmost city of lower Suhum), Nasir, Qasa, Sapiratum (island city), and Yabliya.

Iron Age

In this period Sūru was a fortified city of Suhum. A known governor of Suhum at that time was Kudurru. For a time Suhum paid tribute to Neo-Assyrian ruler Ashurnasirpal II (883–859 BC). In 616 BCE, Suhum subordinated themselves to the king of

Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...

, Nabopolassar (ruled 626-605 BC).Beaulieu, Paul-Alain, "The City of Ur and the Neo-Babylonian Empire", Ur in the Twenty-First Century CE: Proceedings of the 62nd Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale at Philadelphia, July 11–15, 2016, edited by Grant Frame, Joshua Jeffers and Holly Pittman, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 153-170, 2021 Three years later, in 613 BC, Suhum rebelled against him, which led Nabopolassar to send an expedition against Suhum.

References

{{Reflist

*Charpin, D., "Sapîratum, ville du Suhûm", MARI 8, pp. 341-366, 1997 *Clancier P., "À l’ombre des grandes puissances de Mésopotamie : une histoire du Sūhu à l’époque néo-assyrienne", Culture and history of the ancient Near East 114, Leyde, Boston, 2020 *Clancier, Philippe, "Une histoire du Sūhu de la fin du IXe siècle au milieu du VIIIe", À l’ombre des grandes puissances de Mésopotamie. Brill, pp. 368-482, 2020 *Cohen, Yoram, "A Letter from the Governor of Emar to the Governor of Suḫu", JA 303, pp. 175–180, 2015 *Durand, Jean-Marie and Marti, Lionel, "Chroniques du moyen-euphrate 5. Une attaque de Qaṭna par le Sûhum et la question du 'Pays de Mari'", RA 99, pp. 123–132, 2005 *Dion, Paul-Eugène, "Les Araméens du Moyen-Euphrate au VIIIe siècle à la lumière des inscriptions des maîtres de Suhu et Mari", Congress Volume Paris 1992, Brill, pp. 53–73, 1995 *Joannes, F., Kepinski, C., Lecomte, O., "Presence babylonienne dans le pays de Suhu au xv11e siecle av. J.-C.: l'exemple de Khirbet ed Diniye (Irak)", RA 77, 1983, pp. 119-142, 1983 *Joannes, F., "La conquête du pays de Suhum par le royaume d’Eshnunna et les liens tribaux en-tre la Diyala, la Mésopotamie du sud, la péninsule arabique et la vallée du moyen-Euphrate", BaM 37, pp. 117–130, 2007 *Lacambre, Denis, "La region du Suhum a l’epoque des archives de Mari (XIXe-XVIIIe siecles av. J.-C.)", Studia Euphratica. Le moyen Euphrate iraquien révélé par les fouilles préventives de Haditha 3, pp. 129-156, 2006 Historical regions Populated places on the Euphrates River

History

Middle Bronze

Iron Age

References

Further reading