Yarim-Lim II (reigned -

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 the king of

Yamhad Yamhad (Yamḫad) was an ancient Semitic languages, Semitic-speaking kingdom centered on Ḥalab (Aleppo) in Syria (region), Syria. The kingdom emerged at the end of the 19th century BC and was ruled by the Yamhad dynasty, who counted on both mi ...

(

Halab Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

) succeeding his father Abba-El I.

Reign

Little of Aleppo has been excavated by archaeologists and knowledge about Yamhad and its kings mainly comes from tablets discovered at

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 Age ...

and Mari. Little is known about Yarim-Lim II. His existence is confirmed by a seal inscription discovered at Alalakh, where he designates himself as son of Abba-El I and "beloved of the god

Hadad Hadad (), 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. From ...

". One of his ministers was Ini-Kubaba, known from his seal inscription found in Alalakh.

Identity

The identity of this king is under dispute: Abba-El I had a brother called Yarim-Lim to whom he gave the kingdom of Alalakh. The king of Alalakh mentions that he is the son of Hammurabi I, and Yarim-Lim II in his seal inscription mentions that he is the son of Abba-El I, however Moshe Weinfeld suggests that Yarim-Lim II of Yamhad is the same Yarim-Lim of Alalakh. He believes that the seal which mentions that Yarim-Lim was a son of Abba-El belonged to Yarim-Lim, son of Hammurabi I, and that the reason for mentioning that Yarim-Lim is the son of Abba-El I in the seal inscription is that Abba-El adopted his brother in order to create the legal base for installing him as king. This theory is hard to prove as there is no textual reference to any adoption and the fact that Yarim-lim's (the son of Hammurabi) installation on the throne of Alalakh happened long before the assumed adoption took place beside. There is also no need for an adoption to legitimize the grant of Alalakh to the king's brother.

Death and ancestors

Yarim-Lim II died ca. 1700 BC and was succeeded by his son

Niqmi-Epuh Niqmi-Epuḫ, also given as Niqmepa (reigned - Middle chronology) was the king of Yamḫad (Halab) succeeding his father Yarim-Lim II. Reign Little of Aleppo has been excavated by archaeologists. Knowledge about Niqmi-Epuh comes from tablets dis ...

References

Citations

{{reflist, 2 18th-century BC monarchs Kings of Yamhad Amorite kings Yamhad dynasty