Eshnunna (also Esnunak) (modern Tell Asmar in
Diyala Governorate
Diyala Governorate ( ) or Diyala Province is a Governorates of Iraq, governorate in northeastern Iraq.
Provincial Government
*Governor: Muthanna al-Tamimi
*Deputy Governor: Mohammed Jassim al-Jubouri
Council
Geography
Diyala Governorate ...
,
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
) was an ancient
Sumer
Sumer () is the earliest known civilization, located in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (now south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. ...
ian (and later
Akkadian) city and city-state in central
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
12.6 miles northwest of
Tell Agrab and 15 miles northwest of
Tell Ishchali. Although situated in the
Diyala Valley northwest of
Sumer
Sumer () is the earliest known civilization, located in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (now south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. ...
proper, the city nonetheless belonged securely within the Sumerian cultural milieu. It is sometimes, in very early archaeological papers, called Ashnunnak or Tupliaš.
The tutelary deity of the city was
Tishpak (Tišpak) though other gods, including
Sin
In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...
,
Adad, and
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 ...
of
Kiti (
Kitītum) were also worshiped there. The personal goddesses of the rulers were
Belet-Šuḫnir and Belet-Terraban.
History
Early Bronze

Inhabited since the
Jemdet Nasr period
The Jemdet Nasr Period (also Jemdat Nasr period) is an archaeological culture in southern Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). It is generally dated from 3100 to 2900 BC. It is named after the type site Tell Jemdet Nasr, where the assemblage typical fo ...
, around 3000 BC, Eshnunna was a major city during the
Early Dynastic period of Mesopotamia. It is known, from cuneiform records and excavations, that the city was occupied in the Akkadian period though its extent was noticeably less than it reached in Ur III times.
Thorkild Jacobsen, "Philological Notes on Eshnunna and Its Inscriptions", Assyriological Studies 6, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1934 Areas of the Northern Palace date to this period and show some of the earliest examples of widespread sewage disposal engineering including toilets in private homes.
The first known rulers of the city were a series of vassal governors under 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 ...
. Eshnunna may have had special relationships to the royal family. For example,
Shulgi's wife Shulgi-Simtum showed devotion to two goddesses closely connected with the governor's dynasty at Eshnunna, and Shu-Sin's uncle Babati temporarily lived in Eshnunna.
Ituria is attested as the governor of Eshnunna under Ur from at least Su-Sun year 9 to Ibbi-Sin year 2. He erected a temple to
Shu-Sin
Shu-Sin, also Šu-Suen (: '' DŠu D Sîn'', after the Moon God Sîn", the "𒀭" being a silent honorific for "Divine", formerly read Gimil-Sin) (died c. 2028 BC) was king of Sumer and Akkad, and was the fourth king of the Ur III dynasty. He su ...
in a new lower town. Soon after Shu-Sin's death, Ituria was followed by his son Šu-ilišu, who in 2026 BC got rid of the Ur III calendar and replaced it with a local one.
He also stopped calling himself the ensi (governor) of Eshnunna, instead referring to himself as lugal (king) and "beloved of
Tishpak". His seal also mentioned the deities Belat-Shuhnir and Belat-Terraban.
His personal seal shows him facing the god Tishpak, who is holding a rod and ring in one hand and an axe in the other while standing on two subdued enemies.
After the fall of the Ur III empire there was a period of chaos in Akkad with numerous city-states vying for power. Eshnunna established itself, for about 15 years, as the independent state of Warum. It was then briefly seized by
Subartu
The land of Subartu (, Assyrian: '' mât Šubarri'') or Subar (, ) is mentioned in Bronze Age literature. The name also appears as ''Subari'' in the Amarna letters, and, in the form ''Šbr'', in Ugarit.
Subartu was apparently a kingdom in Uppe ...
who may have ousted Shu-iliya.
Ishbi-Erra
Ishbi-Erra ( Akkadian: d''iš-bi-ir₃-ra'') was the founder of the dynasty of Isin, reigning from c. 2017— 1986 BC ( MC). Ishbi-Erra was preceded by Ibbi-Sin of the third dynasty of Ur in ancient Lower Mesopotamia, and then succeeded by � ...
(in his 9th year, circa 2010 BC) of the southern Mesopotamia city of
Isin
Isin (, modern Arabic language, Arabic: Ishan al-Bahriyat) is an archaeological site in Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, Iraq which was the location of the Ancient Near East city of Isin, occupied from the late 4th millennium Uruk period up until at ...
defeated Subartu and installed Nur-ahum as the new ruler of Eshnunna.
Reichel, C. 2008. "The King is Dead, Long Live the King: The Last Days of the Šu-Sîn Cult at Ešnunna and its Aftermath.", In: N. Brisch (ed.), Religion and Power. Divine Kingship in the Ancient World and Beyond, 133-155. OIS 4, Chicago.
Bricks were found with his standard inscription "Nur-ahum, beloved of the god Tispak, governor of Esnunna".
[Douglas Frayne, "Ešnunna", Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 B.C.): Early Periods, Volume 4, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 484-592, 1990 ]
Rulers of Eshnunna after Shu-iliya would call themselves the steward of Eshnunna on behalf of Tishpak, and Tishpak even took on traditional titles usually attested by kings. The seal of Shu-iliya
had him ruling under Tishpak i.e. "Tišpak, mighty king, king of the land Warum, king of the four quarters, Shu-iliya (is) his...".
Middle Bronze

Kirikiri then ousted Nur-ahum from power. Not having ties to the previous ruler, he was likely an usurper, and a fire destroyed the northwestern part of the Su-Sin temple. However, he still called himself “ensi of Eshnunna” on behalf of Tishpak. An alternative view is that Kirikiri was actually the brother of Nur-ahum.
Kirikiri established a new line of rulers with his son Bilalama.
Bilalama formed a diplomatic marriage with
Elam
Elam () was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq. The modern name ''Elam'' stems fr ...
, giving his daughter Me-Kubi to Tan-Ruhuratir.
The name of Kirikiri is non-Semitic, and possibly Elamite.
Bilalama attempted to maintain good relationships with Ilum-muttabbil of
Der and Elam, although Der and Elam were at war. Bilalama was succeeded by Ishar-ramassu. The palace was then destroyed in a fire, which may have been the result of a foreign invasion. Ilum-mutabbil of Der may have taken Eshnunna and replaced Ishar-ramassu with Usur-awasu, which if the case would have meant that Der had attempted to break up the alliance between Elam and Eshnunna. The reigns of the successors Azuzum, Ur-Ninmarki and Ur-Ningishzida appeared to have been peaceful. There followed a period of political uncertainty in the Diyala.
The successor of Ur-Ningishzida, Ipiq-Adad I, was a son of Ur-Ninmarki. He was generally referred by his contemporaries as “prince,” a title that subsequent rulers of Eshnunna would still sometimes be referred to as. He is the earliest king of Eshnunna that the discovered correspondence letters were addressed to, which provided syncretisms between various rulers in the Diyala. The year name that mentioned Sumu-abum being expelled to Der possibly dates to the reign of Ipiq-Adad I, or sometime around his reign.
Ipiq-Adad’s successor, Sharriya, is only known from two year names. Sharriya’s successor, Warissa, is known from seven year names, including ones that celebrate his conquest of the cities Ishur,
Tutub and
Nerebtum (Kiti). Warissa’s successor, Belakum, is known to have signed a treaty with an unnamed king, at around the same time as a treaty with the rulers of Nerebtum and Shadlash.
Ibal-pi-El I is known to have concluded a treaty with
Sin-Iddinam of
Larsa
Larsa (, read ''Larsamki''), also referred to as Larancha/Laranchon (Gk. Λαραγχων) by Berossus, Berossos and connected with the biblical Arioch, Ellasar, was an important city-state of ancient Sumer, the center of the Cult (religious pra ...
and
Sîn-kāšid
Sîn-kāšid (inscribed in : EN.ZU''-kà-ši-id'') was the Amorites, Amorite king of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Uruk during the 18th century BC. No date lists are known nor any year names so his regnal length is uncertain, but it is likely ...
of
Uruk
Uruk, the archeological site known today as Warka, was an ancient city in the Near East, located east of the current bed of the Euphrates River, on an ancient, now-dried channel of the river in Muthanna Governorate, Iraq. The site lies 93 kilo ...
against
Sabium of Babylon and Ikūn-pî-Sîn of Nerebtum. However, this does create a chronological problem, as the start of the reign of Ipiq-Adad II is generally dated to 1860 BC via the Mari Eponym Chronicle, before the conclusion of this treaty which is generally dated to around 1842 BC. Guichard proposed that Ipiq-Adad’s reign was perhaps interrupted by another Ibal-pi-El who signed the treaty, before Ipiq-Adad regained his position, or perhaps that there were actually two Ipiq-Adad’s behind the 46 years allotted to Ipiq-Adad II in the Eponym Chronicles, Ipiq-Adad II and Ipiq-Adad III, of which Ipiq-Adad III would be the son of Ibal-pi-El I, the one who signed the treaty. The second proposal by Guichard is accepted by Nahm, who also suggests that the conquest of Rapiqum was done by Ipiq-Adad III. On the other hand, de Boer and De Graef suggests that the Mari Chronicle was likely wrong on the ascension time of Ipiq-Adad, dating it too early. Wasserman & Bloch instead suggest that perhaps Ipiq-Adad II became a co-regent of Ibal-pi-El I, which was recorded into the Eponym Chronicles as his ascension year (“into his father’s house”) while Ibal-pi-El continued to rule Eshnunna in this time frame, in a manner similar to that with Sin-iddinam of Larsa and his father Nur-Adad.
The 6th year name of Sin-iddinam claims that he destroyed Anshan and Eshnunna. Guichard claimed that this was an impetus for Eshnunna to seek the above alliance with Larsa.
Ipiq-adad II was the first king of Eshnunna to put the divine determinative before the name since Shu-Iliya, and took on the titles "mighty king" "king of the world" and "king who enlarged the kingdom of Eshnunna." The Mari Chronicles mentions that he defeated Aminum of
Assur
Aššur (; AN.ŠAR2KI, Assyrian cuneiform: ''Aš-šurKI'', "City of God Aššur"; ''Āšūr''; ''Aθur'', ''Āšūr''; ', ), also known as Ashur and Qal'at Sherqat, was the capital of the Old Assyrian city-state (2025–1364 BC), the Midd ...
but was defeated by Elam. Later, he effectively brought the Diyala region under the control of Eshnunna. Ipiq-Adad II may have also conquered
Rapiqum, but the year-name had been suggested by other scholars to instead be an alternative form of Hammurabi’s 11th year name, which celebrated his conquest of Rapiqum. However, Lacambre and von Koppen argue that it should be read as a year name for Ipiq-Adad, likely towards the end of his reign. Rapiqum was later also conquered by Dadusha and then Ibal-pi-El II. Eventually, through the ambitions of both
Sumu-la-El of Babylon and Ipiq-Adad II a line of demarcation between the two kingdoms was formed, running somewhere along Sippar-Amnanum. The boundary line changed multiple times after that, with Apil-Sin conquering Ashtabala and other cities along the Tigris, which was reversed by Naram-Sin of Eshnunna.
Naram-Sin, the successor of Ipiq-Adad II, also continued to use the divine determinative before his name and used similar ambitious epithets. Naram-Sin was also mentioned in Assyrian King List in the section on Shamshi-Adad, being the one who forced Shamshi-Adad into exile.
The
Laws of Eshnunna
The Laws of Eshnunna (abrv. LE) are inscribed on two cuneiform tablets discovered in Tell Abū Harmal, Baghdad, Iraq. The Iraqi Directorate of Antiquities headed by Taha Baqir unearthed two parallel sets of tablets in 1945 and 1947. The two table ...
and the building of the Naram-Sin audience hall were from the reign of Naram-Sin of Eshnunna.
Mari, during the reign of Yahdum-Lim, adopted the writing system from Eshnunna with its sign usage and tablet shape, and a later letter addressed from Ibal-pi-El II to Zimri-Lim at the beginning of the latter's reign mentioned that Yahdun-Lim called the king of Eshnunna "father" which indicates a superior position on the part of the king of Eshnunna. Yahdum-Lim also bought the region of Puzurran from Eshnunna. Pongratz-Leisten suggests that the political power of Eshnunna extended to cultural influence with its neighbors, which could be seen from the similarities in style between the Dadusha stela, Mardin stela and the Yahdun-Lim's building inscriptions, which may have in turn influenced Assyria's ideology later.
After the death of Naram-Sin, three kings, Iqish-Tishpak, Ibbi-Sin, and Dannum-tahaz, ruled in short succession. Out of the three, Iqish-Tishpak was unrelated to Ipiq-Adad II and was probably a usurper. The sequence of these three rulers has not been established with certainty. After these three rulers, Dadusha, a brother of Naram-Sin, became king of Eshnunna.
Shamshi-Adad I
Shamshi-Adad (; Amorite: ''Shamshi-Addu''), ruled 1813–1776 BC, was an Amorite warlord and conqueror who had conquered lands across much of Syria, Anatolia, and Upper Mesopotamia.Some of the Mari letters addressed to Shamsi-Adad by his son ca ...
had multiple conflicts with the kingdom of Eshnunna, especially over the cities of Saduppum and Nerebtum. A letter addressed to the later king of Mari
Zimri-Lim
__NOTOC__
Zimri-Lim was in the Middle Bronze Age the king of Mari, Syria, Mari (c. 1767–1752 BCE; low chronology).
Background Family
Zimri-Lim (Akkadian language, Akkadian: ''Zi-im-ri Li-im'') was the son or grandson of king Yahdun-Lim of Ma ...
described how Shamshi-Adad had once called the king of Eshnunna his lord. Dadusha, the king of Eshnunna during this time, also sent an invitation to
Hammurabi
Hammurabi (; ; ), also spelled Hammurapi, 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 the ci ...
of Babylon to join him in the expedition to Maniksum, which Hammurabi refused. Dadusha also launched an offensive to the middle-Euphrates, but Ishme-Dagan reassured Yasmah-Addu that there are plans for a counter-attack. A peace treaty was eventually signed between Shamshi-Adad and Dadusha.
[Jordi Vidal. "‘Kill Them All!’ Some Remarks on the Annihilation of the Ya’ilanum Tribe (1781 B.C.E.)." Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 133, no. 4, 2013, pp. 683–89] Both would eventually cooperate in a campaign against Qabra, and Shamshi-Adad and Dadusha's recount of the events were recorded in the Mardin stela and Dadusha stela respectively. The victory over Qabra was celebrated in the following year name of Dadusha, although the king would later die in the same year.
Negotiations with Dadusha's successor Ibal-pi-El II proved difficult for Shamshi-Adad, and envoys from Eshnunna continued to come to Shamshi-Adad's kingdom to negotiate an agreement years later. Later, during the eponym of Nimer-Sin, Shamshi-Adad's troops would join Eshnunna and Babylon's in a campaign against Malgium.
After the death of Shamshi-Adad, his kingdom split into two with
Ishme-Dagan
Ishme-Dagan (, Diš-me- Dda-gan, ''Išme-Dagān''; c. 1953-1935 BC ( MC) was the 4th king of the First Dynasty of Isin, according to the "''Sumerian King List''" (''SKL''). Also according to the ''SKL'': he was both the son and successor of I ...
as king in
Ekallatum Ekallatum ( Akkadian: 𒌷𒂍𒃲𒈨𒌍, URUE2.GAL.MEŠ, Ekallātum, "the Palaces") was an ancient Amorite city-state and kingdom in upper Mesopotamia.
Ekallatum, whose name means "the palaces," became the capital of an Amorite dynasty related ...
and
Yasmah-Addu
Yasmah-Adad (Yasmah-Addu, Yasmakh-Adad, Ismah-Adad, Iasmakh-Adad; from Akkadian ''Ia-aš-ma-aḫ- dIM'', in Amorite ''Yaśmaʿ-haddu'') was the younger son of the Amorite king of Upper Mesopotamia, Shamshi-Adad I. He was put on throne of Mari ...
as king in
Mari. However,
Zimri-Lim
__NOTOC__
Zimri-Lim was in the Middle Bronze Age the king of Mari, Syria, Mari (c. 1767–1752 BCE; low chronology).
Background Family
Zimri-Lim (Akkadian language, Akkadian: ''Zi-im-ri Li-im'') was the son or grandson of king Yahdun-Lim of Ma ...
would take the throne of Mari and Yasmah-Addu would disappear. The disappearance of Yasmah-Addu is usually attributed to a Simal tribal chief called Bannum. However, Heimpel suggests that Eshnunna may have played a role in Yasmah-Addu’s decision to flee Mari.
Ibal-pi-El entered negotiations with Zimri-Lim, proposing to draw the border of their respective kingdoms at Harradum and to renew the relationship between Mari and Eshnunna from the time of the Mariote king Yahdun-Lim. He informed his benefactor Yarim-Lim, king of Yamhad (Aleppo) that although Eshnunna wanted to forge an alliance, Zimri-Lim always turned the envoys down, which may not have been the case as there were several discussions between him and Eshnunna during this time. Ultimately, Zimri-Lim did not consider the agreement satisfactory, as he wanted to control the Suhum, and rejected the offer. The need to evacuate people from the Suhum in the 3rd (2nd) year of Zimri-Lim could imply a renewed offensive by Eshnunna. Mari and Eshnunna would be at war between the 3rd year and the 5th (2nd and 4th) years of Zimri-Lim. Eshnunna captured Rapiqum in the 3rd (2nd) year of Zimri-Lim, which was celebrated in Ibal-pi-El's 9th year name. Later Ibal-pi-El sent an ultimatum to Zimri-Lim that he would take
Shubat-Enlil. The army of Eshnunna, lead by former king of Allahad Atamrum and the Yaminite chief Yaggih-Addu took Assur and Ekallatum, and the event was described in a letter to Zimri-Lim how "Assur, Ekallatum and Eshnunna have now become one house." Ishme-Dagan seemed to have left the capital to go to
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 ...
before Ekallatum was invaded. Eshnunna succeeded in capturing Shubat-Enlil, which seemed to have caused the submission of several kings in the region to Eshnunna. Eshnunna laid siege to Kurda after the city rejected the peace offerings, but they failed the siege and had to fall back to Andarig. They also supported the Yaminites against Zimri-Lim, who had to deal with a revolt by them earlier in his reign.
Zimri-Lim, in his 4th (3rd) year, stayed at Ashlakka for a while, a city which he took in his 3rd (2nd) year, likely using the city as a base of operations to attack the Eshnunnian army. Then, Eshnunna withdrew from Shubat-Enlil leaving Yanuh-Samar behind as king with a few thousand troops, likely because they were attacked by Halmam. Zimri-Lim then successfully sieged Andarig and took the city. The Yaminites also attacked Mari at this time, and Charpin suggested that there was a plan to have the Eshnunnian army and the Yaminites meet, although it wasn't successful.
After Mari took back Andarig, they began peace talks, although several groups in Mari were against concluding a peace treaty with Eshnunna, with the most famous case being a line from an oracle of
Dagan being relayed to Zimri-Lim in three different tablets, that "beneath straw runs water." In particular, Inib-shina (priestess and sister of Zimri-Lim) directly connects the oracle with the king of Eshnunna, and mentions that Dagan will destroy Ibal-pi-El. Lupakhum, someone also connected with the god Dagan, gave a vague warning about Eshnunna, and reprimanded the goddess
Dērītum for counting on a peace treaty with Eshnunna. Regardless, Zimri-Lim signed the treaty with the king of Eshnunna. With the treaty between Zimri-Lim and Ibal-pi-El in Zimri-Lim's 5th year, Mari was able to keep Hit, and Rapiqum was given to Babylon.
By the 6th year of Zimri-Lim, then the geopolitical situation had grown very complicated, as shown in a letter sent to Zimri-Lim (Zimri-Lim's Mari is likely not mentioned because it is taken for granted):
Later, between Zimri-Lim's 8th and 10th (7th year and 9th) year, contact with
Elam
Elam () was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq. The modern name ''Elam'' stems fr ...
increased with gift exchanges going both sides, with Mari receiving tin on multiple occasions. The
sukkalmah of Elam had henceforth occupied a high position in international relations, and eventually Siwe-palar-huppak asked both Mari and Babylon for support against Eshnunna in Zimri-Lim's 8th (7th) year, which both obliged. Elam would succeed in taking Eshnunna early on in Zimri-Lim’s 10th (9th) year. Durand recently suggested that Eshnunna may have acted as an agent of Elam prior to Ibal-pi-El, which means that the Elamite invasion of Eshnunna was essentially an act against a rogue vassal. However, eventually an anti-Elamite coalition was formed, and Elam was forced to retreat back, but not before sacking the city of Eshnunna. Hammurabi would later write a letter to the sukkalmah that he did say the people of Eshnunna "would not fail to live up to their reputation as rebels."
Hammurabi had expressed interest in taking the throne of Eshnunna, and Zimri-Lim had encouraged it, and if the people of Eshnunna disagreed, to install a prince loyal to Hammurabi onto the throne of Eshnunna. The letter also implies that some members of the royal family of Eshnunna fled and sought refuge in Babylon during the upheaval. However,
Silli-Sin, who was not related to the previous royal family of Eshnunna, was installed as king in Eshnunna by the Eshnunnian troops. Hammurabi and Silli-Sin exchanged tablets with each other to swear oaths. Later, the new king of Eshnunna blocked messengers between Elam and Babylon when the two were trying to reestablish relationships, which likely resulted in a rise in tension between Babylon and Eshnunna. Silli-Sin would later send a letter telling Ishme-Dagan and Hammurabi of Kurda to not send troops to Babylon even if asked and even tried to ask Zimri-Lim to do the same, but the messenger was intercepted and the incident was reported to Zimri-Lim.
Troops from Mari were still stationed in Babylonian territory from the previous war with Elam, and Zimri-Lim wished to recover those. Hammurabi, when asked later to send the troops back to Mari, cited concerns with Eshnunna as the reason for why he was reluctant to do so. Charpin suggests that the territorial demands from Hammurabi was to discourage the new king of Eshnunna, as he would not conclude peace with Eshnunna if he's not given Upi, Shahaduni and the banks of the Tigris. Silli-Sin seemed to have rejected these proposals. Silli-Sin may have also called for a mobilization of troops, which would have worried Hammurabi.
Ishme-Dagan also forsook his past alliance with Mari and Babylon and allied with Eshnunna, perhaps because Atamrum was given control of Shubat-Enlil. Atumrum seemed to have kept his old allegiance to Eshnunna, since Eshnunna was listed as one of his allies. However, the relationship between them seemed to have deteriorated as Atumrum later moved the troops from Eshnunna to a new quarters, which the soldiers complained was "a city in ruins."
Representatives of Eshnunna was present in a treaty talk between Atamrum (king of Andarig and Allahad) and Ashkur-Addu (king of Karana). Heimpel remarks that the presence of a diplomat from Eshnunna was remarkable as Eshnunna and now an indirect enemy of Andarig and Karana for supporting Ishme-Dagan, and suggests that they were tolerated as observers as they were not officially enemies. Eshnunna seemed to have finally concluded a peace treaty with Babylon, and so dropped their support of Ishme-Dagan. Hammurabi and Silli-Sin also had a diplomatic marriage, where one of Hammurabi's daughters was married to Silli-Sin.
In 1762 BC, in Year 31 of
Hammurabi
Hammurabi (; ; ), also spelled Hammurapi, 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 the ci ...
of Babylon, the Babylonians occupied the city of Eshnunna. He returned the titular deity of Assur which had been removed when Eshnunna captured the city of Assur. The fate of Silli-Sin is unknown, as the Mari archives would end 4 months later.
In his 38th year name, Hammurabi would claim to have destroyed Eshnunna with a flood.
[Matthew Rutz, and Piotr Michalowski. "The Flooding of Ešnunna, the Fall of Mari: Hammurabi’s Deeds in Babylonian Literature and History." Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 68, pp. 15–43, 2016]
In the
Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed during 1755–1750 BC. It is the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. It is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian language, Akkadi ...
, the king states that he was the pious prince who brightened Tishpak’s face, which Charpin links to the ideology of the kings of Eshnunna, indicating that Hammurabi was presenting himself as the rightful king of Eshnunna. Charpin also notes that similarly, in Samsu-iluna’s inscriptions, he called himself prince after talking about his suppression of the revolt in Eshnunna, meaning that Samsu-iluna considered himself the king of Eshnunna after killing Iluni.
During the reign of Hammurabi’s successor
Samsu-iluna
Samsu-iluna (Amorite: ''Shamshu-iluna'', "The Sun (is) our god") (–1712 BC) was the seventh king of the founding Amorite dynasty of Babylon. His reign is estimated from 1749 BC to 1712 BC (middle chronology), or from 1686 to 1648 BC (short chron ...
, multiple insurgencies started from various Mesopotamian cities, with Iluni as the rebel king in Eshnunna. Iluni has at least 6 year names that can be attributed to his reign. Tablet archives from the Iraq Museum count 7 year names.
Although it was previously thought that Iluni seized the throne of Eshnunna during the rebellion period similar to the likes of Rim-Sin II or Rim-Anum, newly published texts in 2018 appear to suggest that Iluni ascended to the throne of his father Lipissa. This possibly suggests that it was Lipissa, not Iluni, who restored Eshnunna’s independence. Wasserman and Bloch also considered the possibility that this Lipissa was the same Lipissa (Lipit-Sin) that led the reinforcement troops from Eshnunna for Ishme-Dagan’s war against the Turukkeans.
The rebel kings were sometimes allies, but there were also conflicts between them. Samsu-iluna mentions defeating Rim-Sin II (rebel king in Larsa) and Iluni in an inscription. It had been thought that the inscription jointly commemorates his defeat of Rim-Sin in year 10 with his defeat of Eshnunna in year 19 (20th year name), but a few variations of Samsi-iluna’s 10th year name suggests a victory over Eshnunna and the Yamutbal. Thus, the inscription actually commemorates events about a decade after they had already taken place, as he celebrated restoring the city wall of Kish that happened in his 23rd year (24th year name). Rim-Anum, the rebel king in Uruk, similarly claimed to have defeated Yamutbal, Eshnunna, Isin and Kazallu. While Samsu-iluna did succeed in quelling the rebellion in the south, places like Eshnunna remained independent for a while. Samsi-iluna’s 20th year name referring to the defeat of Eshnunna may be the final defeat of Iluni.
After Iluni, an inscription of
Samsu-Ditana mentions victory over a certain Ahushina, the king of Eshnunna.
Late Bronze
In the 12th century BC the Elamite ruler
Shutruk-Nakhunte conquered Eshnunna and carried back a number of statues, ranging from the Akkadian period to the Old Babylonian period, to Susa.
Because of its promise of control over lucrative trade routes, Eshnunna could function somewhat as a gateway between Mesopotamian and
Elam
Elam () was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq. The modern name ''Elam'' stems fr ...
ite culture. The trade routes gave it access to many exotic, sought-after goods such as horses from the north, copper, tin, and other metals and
precious stones
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...
. In a grave in Eshnunna, a pendant made of
copal
Copal is a tree resin, particularly the aromatic resins from the copal tree '' Protium copal'' ( Burseraceae) used by the cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica as ceremonially burned incense and for other purposes. More generally, copal includ ...
from
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
was found. A small number of seals and beads from the
Indus Valley civilization
The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE ...
were also found.
Archaeology
The remains of the ancient city are now preserved in the
tell, or archaeological settlement mound, of Tell Asmar, some 50 miles northeast of
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
and 15 km in a straight line east of
Baqubah
Baqubah (; BGN: Ba‘qūbah; also spelled Baquba and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate. The city is located some to the northeast of Baghdad, on the Diyala River. In 2003 it had an estimated population of some 280,000 people. ...
. It was first located by
Henri Pognon in 1892 but he neglected to report the location before he died in 1921. It was refound, after antiquities from the site began to appear in dealers shops in Baghdad, and excavated in six seasons between 1930 and 1936 by an
Oriental Institute of the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
team led by
Henri Frankfort
Henri "Hans" Frankfort (24 February 1897 – 16 July 1954) was a Dutch Egyptology, Egyptologist, archaeologist and orientalism, orientalist.
Early life and education
Born in Amsterdam, into a "Reform Judaism, liberal Jewish" family, Frankfort stud ...
with
Thorkild Jacobsen, Pinhas Delougaz, Gordon Loud, and
Seton Lloyd. The expedition's field secretary was
Mary Chubb.
The primary focuses of the Chicago excavations were the palace and the attached temple (28 meters by 28 meters with 3 meter wide walls) of Su-Sin (termed by the excavators The Palace of the Rulers and The Gimilsin Temple respectively). The palace was built during the time of Ur III ruler Shugi and the Temple by governor Ituria to the deified Ur III ruler Su-Sin during his reign. The palace was partially destroyed during the reign of Bilalama but was eventually fully restored. The remaining excavation efforts were directed to the Abu Temple whose beginnings went back to the Early Dynastic I period and which had undergone a series of major changes over the centuries. A large Southern Building was discovered, believed to be from the time of Ipiq-Adad II, of which only the foundations remained. A number of private houses and a palace from the Akkadian period were also excavated. Much effort was also put into the search for E-sikil, temple of Tishpak, without success. In records written in Sumerian the temple is dedicated to Ninazu while those in Akkadian refer to Tishpak.
[Reichel, Clemens. "Centre and Periphery–The Role of the ‘Palace of the Rulers’ at Tell Asmar in the History of Ešnunna (2,100–1,750 BCE)." Journal of the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies 11 (2018): 29-53]
Despite the length of time since the excavations at Tell Asmar, the work of examining and publishing the remaining finds from that dig continues to this day.
These finds include, terracotta figurines, toys, necklaces, cylinder seals, and roughly 200 clay sealings (about 85% container sealing and 15% door sealings) and around 1,750
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 ...
tablets (about 1000 of which came from the palace). Because only inexperienced laborers were available many of the tablets were damaged or broken during the excavation. A project to clean, bake, and catalog all the tablets did not occur until the 1970s. The tablets from the Akkadian period were published in 1961. While most of the Eshnunna tablets are of an administrative nature 58 are letters which are rare in this time period. The letters are written in an early form of the Old Babylonian dialect of the
Akkadian language
Akkadian ( ; )John Huehnergard & Christopher Woods, "Akkadian and Eblaite", ''The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages''. Ed. Roger D. Woodard (2004, Cambridge) Pages 218–280 was an East Semitic language that is attested ...
, termed "archaic Old Babylonian". They are roughly in two groups a) earlier primarily from the reigns of Bilalama, Nur-ahum and Kirikiri and b) later primarily from the reigns of Usur-awassu, Ur-Ninmar, and Ipiq-Adad I.
A single tablet was in the Old Assyrian "Cappadician" dialect of Akkadian.
From 2001 until 2002, Iraqi archaeologists worked at Tell Asmar. Excavation focused on
an area of private houses in the southern part of the site. Nineteen cylinder seals, two very damaged, were recovered. One seal is inscribed "Azuzum Governor of the (city of) Eshnunna Atta-ilī Scribe, your/his slave". Another reads "Bilalama! beloved
f the god Tishpakruler of the (city of) Eshnunna Ilšu-dan on of Ur-Ninsun the scribe (is) your/his servant". The final report from that excavation is in the publication process.
Square Temple of Abu
During the Early Dynastic period, the Abu Temple at Tell Asmar (Eshnunna) went through a number of phases. This included the Early Dynastic Archaic Shrine, Square Temple, and Single-Shrine phases of construction. They, along with sculpture found there, helped form the basis for the three part archaeological separation of the Early Dynastic period into ED I, ED II, and ED III for the ancient Near East. A cache of 12 gypsum temple sculptures, in a geometric style, were found in the Square Temple; these are known as the
Tell Asmar Hoard. They are some of the best known examples of ancient Near East sculpture. The group, now split up, show gods, priests and donor worshipers at different sizes, but all in the same highly simplified style. All have greatly enlarged inlaid eyes, but the tallest figure, the main
cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a Cultural artifact, human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit or Daimon, daemon that it embodies or represents. In several traditions, incl ...
depicting the local god, has enormous eyes that give it a "fierce power". Four of the statues are held at the Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago, one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the remaining seven at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad. The original excavators proposed that the temple was solely dedicated to the god
Ningishzida
Ningishzida ( Sumerian: DNIN.G̃IŠ.ZID.DA, possible meaning "Lord f theGood Tree") was a Mesopotamian deity of vegetation, the underworld and sometimes war. He was commonly associated with snakes. Like Dumuzi, he was believed to spend a part ...
. It has since been suggested that the minor cult of
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 ...
and
Dumuzi was also worshiped in the Abu Temple.
Laws of Eshnunna
The Laws of Eshnunna consist of two tablets, found at
Shaduppum (Tell Harmal) and a fragment found at Tell Haddad, the ancient
Mê-Turan. They were written sometime around the reign of king Dadusha of Eshnunna and appear to not be official copies. When the actual laws were composed is unknown. They are similar to the
Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed during 1755–1750 BC. It is the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. It is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian language, Akkadi ...
.
List of rulers
Rulers from the Early Dynastic period and governors under the Akkadian empire are currently unknown. Eshnunna was ruled by vassal governors under Ur III for a time, then was independent under its own rulers for several centuries, and finally controlled by vassal governors under Babylon after the city's capture by Hammurabi. Rulership is unknown afterwards though the city did survive at least until the 12th century BC.
[Maria deJong Ellis, "Notes on the Chronology of the Later Eshnunna Dynasty", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 61–85, 1985] The following list should not be considered complete:
Excavation photographs
File:Dancers Eshnunna Louvre AO12443.jpg, Dancers Eshnunna Louvre
File:Ishtar Eshnunna Louvre AO12456.jpg, Plaque of Ishtar from Eshnunna
File:Sumerian Statues from Eshnunna and Khafajah of Diyala region, Iraq Museum.jpg, Sumerian Statues from Eshnunna and Khafajah
File:Detail, a statuette of a male worshiper, from Tell Asmar (ancient Eshnunna), Iraq, Early Dynastic period, 2600-2350 BCE. Iraq Museum, Baghdad.jpg, Statuette of male worshiper from Tell Asmar - Early Dynastic period 2600-2350 BC
File:Plaque with female and male figures, Tell Asmar, Single-Shrine Temple III, Early Dynastic period, 2500-2330 BC, alabaster, shell, bitumen - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago - DSC07365.JPG, Plaque_with_female_and_male_figures, Tell Asmar Single-Shrine Temple III - Early Dynastic period, 2500-2330 BC, alabaster, shell and bitumen
File:Plaques with nude females, Tell Asmar, baked clay, (left) city wall area, Isin-Larsa period, 2000-1800 BC, (right) Ishchali, 2000-1600 BC - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago - DSC07297.JPG, Plaques with nude females from Tell Asmar, baked clay, (left)_city wall area, Isin-Larsa period, 2000-1800 BC, (right) Ishchali, 2000-1600 BC
File:Oriental Institute Museum. God with ax attacks eagle while Shamash and Worshipper stand behind (5948336437).jpg, God with ax attacks eagle while Shamash and Worshipper stand behind
File:Statue of a Sumerian seated worshiper from Tell Asmar.jpg, Statue of a Sumerian seated worshiper from Tell Asmar
File:Tablet OIM A7837.jpg, Administrative tablet - Akkadian period
File:Sumerian Status from Tell Asmar, part of the Tell Asmar Hoard (cropped).jpg, Sumerian Status from Tell Asmar - part of Tell Asmar Hoard
File:Pendants, Tell Asmar, North Palace, room E 16 in hoard 11, Early Dynastic period, 2900-2350 BC, lapis lazuli, silver, carnelian - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago - DSC07316.JPG, Pendants from Tell Asmar North Palace - Early Dynastic period - lapis lazuli, silver, and carnelian
File:Straw, Tell Asmar, North Palace Area, hoard 12, Akkadian period, 2350-2150 BC, copper - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago - DSC07325.JPG, Copper Straw from Tell Asmar North Palace Area - Akkadian period
See also
*
Andarig
*
Chogha Gavaneh
*
Chronology of the ancient Near East
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 ...
*
Khafajah
Khafajah or Khafaje (), ancient Tutub, is an archaeological site in Diyala Governorate, Iraq east of Baghdad. Khafajah lies on the Diyala River, a tributary of the Tigris. Occupied from the Uruk period, Uruk and Jemdet Nasr periods through the e ...
*
List of cities of the ancient Near East
The earliest cities in history were in the ancient Near East, an area covering roughly that of the modern Middle East: its history began in the 4th millennium BC and ended, depending on the interpretation of the term, either with the conquest by ...
*
Tell Ishchali
Notes
References
Sources
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Further reading
hmed, AL-Jobouri, "Ipiq-Adad II, the king of Eshnunna (1850-1813 BC) New Ruling Year", AL-AMEED JOURNAL 1.3-4, 2012 (in Arabic)
*
* Civil, M., "A School Exercise from Tell Asmar", Studia Orientalia Electronica, vol. 46, pp. 39–42, Apr. 2015
Pinhas Delougaz, "Pottery from the Diyala Region", Oriental Institute Publications 63, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1952,
Pinhas Delougaz, Harold D. Hill, and Seton Lloyd, "Private Houses and Graves in the Diyala Region", Oriental Institute Publications 88, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1967
Pinhas Delougaz and Seton Lloyd with chapters by Henri Frankfort and Thorkild Jacobsen, "Pre-Sargonid Temples in the Diyala Region", Oriental Institute Publications 58, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1942
enri Frankfort, with a chapter by Thorkild Jacobsen, "Stratified Cylinder Seals from the Diyala Region", Oriental Institute Publications 72, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1955
* Gentili, Paolo, "Chogha Gavaneh: An Outpost of Ešnunna on the Zagros Mountains?", Egitto e Vicino Oriente, vol. 35, pp. 165–73, 2012
Max Hilzheimer, translated by Adolph A. Brux, "Animal Remains from Tell Asmar", Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 20, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1941
horkild Jacobsen, "Philological Notes on Eshnunna and Its Inscriptions", Assyriological Studies 6 Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1934
* Lambert, W. G., "Narām-Sîn of Ešnunna or Akkad?", Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 106, no. 4, pp. 793–95, 1986
*Nagel, Wolfram, "Eine Siegesstele des Narāmsîn von Ešnunak?", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 53, no. Jahresband, pp. 133-135, 1959
*Reichel, Clemens D., "Political changes and cultural continuity in the Palace of the Rulers at Eshnunna (Tell Asmar) from the Ur III period to the Isin-Larsa period (ca. 2070--1850 BC)(Iraq)", Ph.D. dissertation, University of Chicago, 2002
* Gary A. Rendsburg, "UT 68 and the Tell Asmar Seal", Orientalia, NOVA SERIES, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 448–452, 1984
* Claudia E. Suter, "The Victory Stele of Dadusha of Eshnunna: A New Look at its Unusual Culminating Scene", Ash-sharq Bulletin of the Ancient Near East Archaeological, Historical and Societal Studies, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 1–29, 2018
*Saporetti, C., "La rivale di Babilonia: Storia di Ešnunna, un potente regno che sidò Ḫammurapi", Rome: Newton & Compton, 2002
* R. M. Whiting Jr., "An Old Babylonian Incantation from Tell Asmar", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie, vol. 75, pp. 179 – 187, 1985
External links
The Diyala Project at the University of Chicago
{{Authority control
Populated places established in the 3rd millennium BC
States and territories established in the 3rd millennium BC
Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia)
Sumerian cities
Archaeological sites in Iraq
Former populated places in Iraq
Diyala Governorate
Former kingdoms