Ashur-uballit II
Encyclopedia
Ashur-uballit II , was the last king of the
Assyria
n empire. He reigned in the last capital city of Harran
from 612 BC to 609 BC, having escaped Nineveh
during the siege and capture of that city by the Babylonia
n-Mede
army in 612 BC.
In alliance with Egypt
ian forces, Ashuruballit's army was able to defend Harran from the combined Babylonian-Mede attack for a brief period following the destruction of Nineveh; however, when the Egyptian army had to return their homeland in 610 BC, the Babylonians and Medes swept into Harran and sacked it in 609 BC.
Assyria again called upon Egypt, who came to their assistance. King Josiah of Judah
allied himself with Babylon and tried to block the way of the forces of Egypt under Pharaoh Necho II
. Josiah was defeated at Meggido
, and was killed in the battle. Pharaoh Necho marched on together with Ashur-uballit II, to besiege Harran. They were defeated and the Egyptians retreated into northern Syria. Ashur-uballit II disappears from history, bringing an end to the Assyrian empire. Limmu
new-year officials were appointed down to the very end of his reign; his final year (= 609 BC), known eponymously for the limmu as Gargamišayu ("the Carchemish
ite"), was the last year ever in history so to receive an official Assyrian name.
It is likely that Ashur-uballit was killed in this 2nd siege of Harran in 609 BC, although this is not certain. He may have survived and been involved in the final Egyptian defeat in the region in 605 BC.
While it is clear that he was a member of the Assyrian royal family, and that he was a tartan
of the Assyrian army before declaring himself king, there is some disagreement as to whether or not Ashur-uballit II was the brother of Sinsharishkun
, who ruled the empire from 623 BC to 612 BC. He took his name from Ashur-uballit I
, the Assyrian king who had overthrown Mitanni
an domination in about 1330 BC, and begun the Middle Assyrian era (1330 BC-1076 BC).
Kings of Assyria
The list of Assyrian kings is compiled from the Assyrian King List, an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia with information added from recent archaeological findings. The Assyrian King List includes regnal lengths that appear to have been based on now lost limmu lists...
Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n empire. He reigned in the last capital city of Harran
Harran
Harran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of Altınbaşak, Turkey, 24 miles southeast of Şanlıurfa...
from 612 BC to 609 BC, having escaped Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
during the siege and capture of that city by the Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
n-Mede
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
army in 612 BC.
In alliance with Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian forces, Ashuruballit's army was able to defend Harran from the combined Babylonian-Mede attack for a brief period following the destruction of Nineveh; however, when the Egyptian army had to return their homeland in 610 BC, the Babylonians and Medes swept into Harran and sacked it in 609 BC.
Assyria again called upon Egypt, who came to their assistance. King Josiah of Judah
Josiah
Josiah or Yoshiyahu or Joshua was a king of Judah who instituted major reforms. Josiah is credited by most historians with having established or compiled important Jewish scriptures during the Deuteronomic reform that occurred during his rule.Josiah became king of Judah at the age of eight, after...
allied himself with Babylon and tried to block the way of the forces of Egypt under Pharaoh Necho II
Necho II
Necho II was a king of the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt .Necho II is most likely the pharaoh mentioned in several books of the Bible . The Book of Kings states that Necho met King Josiah of the Kingdom of Judah at Megiddo and killed him...
. Josiah was defeated at Meggido
Megiddo (place)
Megiddo is a tell in modern Israel near Megiddo Kibbutz, known for its historical, geographical, and theological importance especially under its Greek name Armageddon. In ancient times Megiddo was an important city-state. Excavations have unearthed 26 layers of ruins, indicated a long period of...
, and was killed in the battle. Pharaoh Necho marched on together with Ashur-uballit II, to besiege Harran. They were defeated and the Egyptians retreated into northern Syria. Ashur-uballit II disappears from history, bringing an end to the Assyrian empire. Limmu
Limmu
Limmu was an Assyrian eponym. At the beginning of the reign of an Assyrian king, the limmu, an appointed royal official, would preside over the New Year festival at the capital. Each year a new limmu would be chosen. Although picked by lot, there was most likely a limited group, such as the men of...
new-year officials were appointed down to the very end of his reign; his final year (= 609 BC), known eponymously for the limmu as Gargamišayu ("the Carchemish
Carchemish
Carchemish or Kargamış was an important ancient city of the Mitanni, Hittite and Neo Assyrian Empires, now on the frontier between Turkey and Syria. It was the location of an important battle between the Babylonians and Egyptians, mentioned in the Bible...
ite"), was the last year ever in history so to receive an official Assyrian name.
It is likely that Ashur-uballit was killed in this 2nd siege of Harran in 609 BC, although this is not certain. He may have survived and been involved in the final Egyptian defeat in the region in 605 BC.
While it is clear that he was a member of the Assyrian royal family, and that he was a tartan
Tartan (Assyrian)
A Tartan , Aramaic: ܬܵܪܬܵܢ Tartan; was the commander-in-chief of the Assyrian army. In the Bible, the Assyrian king sends a Tartan with two other officials to deliver a threatening message to Jerusalem, and Sargon, the king of Assyria, sends a Tartan who takes Ashod.In Assyria, the Tartan ranked...
of the Assyrian army before declaring himself king, there is some disagreement as to whether or not Ashur-uballit II was the brother of Sinsharishkun
Sinsharishkun
Sinsharishkun , who seems to have been the Saràkos of Berossus, was one of the last kings of the Assyrian empire.-Early years:...
, who ruled the empire from 623 BC to 612 BC. He took his name from Ashur-uballit I
Ashur-uballit I
Ashur-uballit I , was king of the Assyrian empire . His reign marks Assyria's independence from the kingdom of Mitanni, by defeating Shuttarna II; and the beginning of Assyria's emergence as a powerful empire...
, the Assyrian king who had overthrown Mitanni
Mitanni
Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
an domination in about 1330 BC, and begun the Middle Assyrian era (1330 BC-1076 BC).