First Babylonian Dynasty
Encyclopedia
The chronology
of the first dynasty of Babylonia
is debated as there is a Babylonian King List A and a Babylonian King List B. In this chronology, the regnal years of List A are used due to their wide usage. The reigns in List B are longer, in general.
, yields very few archaeological materials intact. Thus any evidence must come from surrounding regions and written records. Not much is known about the kings from Sumuabum through Sin-muballit
other than the fact they were Amorites rather than indigenous Akkadians. What is known, however, is that they accumulated little land. When Hammurabi (also an Amorite) ascended the throne of Babylon, the empire only consisted of a few towns in the surrounding area: Dilbat
, Sippar
, Kish
, and Borsippa
. Once Hammurabi was king, his military victories gained land for the empire. However, Babylon remained but one of several important areas in Mesopotamia, along with Assyria
, then ruled by Shamshi-Adad I
, and Larsa
, then ruled by Rim-Sin.
In Hammurabi's thirtieth year as king, he really began to establish Babylon as the center of what would be a great empire. In that year, he conquered Larsa
from Rim-Sin, thus gaining control over the lucrative urban centers of Nippur
, Ur
, Uruk
, and Isin
. In essence, Hammurabi gained control over all of south Mesopotamia. The other formidable political power in the region in the 2nd millennium was Eshnunna
, which Hammurabi succeeded in capturing in c. 1761. Babylon exploited Eshnunna's well-established commercial trade routes and the economic stability that came with them. It was not long before Hammurabi's army took Assyria
(another economic powerhouse) and parts of the Zagros Mountains
. In 1760, Hammurabi finally captured Mari
, the final piece of the puzzle that gave him control over virtually all of the territory that made up Mesopotamia
under the Third Dynasty of Ur
in the 3rd millennium.
Hammurabi's other name was Hammurapi-ilu, meaning "Hammurapi the god" or perhaps "Hammurapi is god." He could have been Amraphel
king of Shinar
or Sinear in the Jewish records and the Bible
, a contemporary of Abraham
. Abraham lived from 1871 to 1784, according to modern interpretations of the Old Testament
's figures that have been usually reckoned in modern half years before the Exodus, from equinox to equinox.
A recent translation of the Chogha Gavaneh tablets which date back to 1800 BC indicate there were close contacts between this town located in the intermontane valley of Islamabad in Central Zagros and Dyala region.
The Venus tablets of Ammisaduqa (i.e., several ancient versions on clay tablets) are famous, and several books had been published about them. Several dates have been offered but the old dates of many sourcebooks seems to be outdated and incorrect. There are further difficulties: the 21 years span of the detailed observations of the planet Venus
may or may not coincide with the reign of this king, because his name is not mentioned, only the Year of the Golden Throne. A few sources, some printed almost a century ago, claim that the original text mentions an occultation of the Venus by the moon. However, this may be a misinterpretation. Calculations support 1659
for the fall of Babylon, based on the statistical probability of dating based on the planet's observations. The presently accepted middle chronology is too low from the astronomical point of view.
A text about the fall of Babylon by the Hittites
of Mursilis I at the end of Samsuditana's reign which tells about a twin eclipse is crucial for a correct Babylonian chronology. The pair of lunar and solar eclipses occurred in the month Shimanu (Sivan
). The lunar eclipse took place on February 9, 1659 BC
. It started at 4:43 and ended at 6:47. The latter was invisible which satisfies the record which tells that the setting moon was still eclipsed. The solar eclipse occurred on February 23, 1659. It started at 10:26, has its maximum at 11:45, and ended at 13:04.
Chronology
Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
of the first dynasty of 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...
is debated as there is a Babylonian King List A and a Babylonian King List B. In this chronology, the regnal years of List A are used due to their wide usage. The reigns in List B are longer, in general.
First Babylonian Dynasty
The short chronology:| King | Reigned | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Sumu-abum Sumu-abum Sumu-Adama was the first King of the First Dynasty of Babylon. He reigned from 1830-1817 BC. He is credited with founding the city of Babylon .-References:... or Su-abu |
ca. 1830—1817 BC | Contemporary of Ilushuma Ilushuma Ilushuma was the king of Assyria ca. 1945–1906 BC. He was a powerful king who is best known for founding colonies in Asia Minor and leading an Assyrian army and raiding into southern Mesopotamia, attacking the Sumerian state of Isin and other states. Two of his sons went on to become kings: Erishum... of 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... |
| Sumu-la-El Sumu-la-El Sumu-la-El was a King in the First Dynasty of Babylon. He reigned ca.1817 BC - 1781 BC.-References:... |
ca. 1817—1781 BC | Contemporary of Erishum I Erishum I Erishum I was the king of Assyria between 1906 BC to 1867 BC. He was the son of the previous Assyrian king, Ilushuma. He built a temple for the deity Assur... of 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... |
| Sabium Sabium Sabium was a King in the First Dynasty of Babylon. He reigned ca.1781 BC - 1767 BC.... or Sabum |
ca. 1781—1767 BC | Son of Sumu-la-El |
| Apil-Sin Apil-Sin Apil-Sin was a King in the First Dynasty of Babylon. He reigned c. 1767 BC - 1749 BC. Apil-Sin was the grandfather of Hammurabi, who significantly expanded the Babylonian kingdom. Little is known of the details of Apil-Sin or his reign as king of Babylon... |
ca. 1767—1749 BC | Son of Sabium |
| Sin-muballit Sin-Muballit Sin-Muballit was the father of Hammurabi. He was the fifth king of the first dynasty of Babylonia, reigning c. 1748 to 1729 BC. His son Hammurabi greatly expanded the Babylonian kingdom. Sin-Muballit succeeded Apil-Sin. No inscriptions for either king are known. In Sin-Muballit's 13th year, he... |
ca. 1748—1729 BC | Son of Apil-Sin |
| Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian from Amorite ʻAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer", from ʻAmmu, "paternal kinsman", and Rāpi, "healer"; (died c... |
ca. 1728—1686 BC | Contemporary of Zimri-Lim of Mari Mari, Syria Mari was an ancient Sumerian and Amorite city, located 11 kilometers north-west of the modern town of Abu Kamal on the western bank of Euphrates river, some 120 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, Syria... , Siwe-palar-huppak of Elam Elam Elam was an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and the southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province, as well as a small part of southern Iraq... and Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I (fl. late 18th century BC (short chronology) was an Assyrian king. He rose to prominence when he carved out an empire encompassing much of Mesopotamia, Syria and Asia Minor... |
| Samsu-iluna Samsu-Iluna Samsu-iluna was the seventh king of the founding Amorite dynasty of Babylon, ruling from 1750 BC to 1712 BC middle chronology. He was the son and successor of Hammurabi by an unknown mother... |
ca. 1686—1648 BC | Son of Hammurabi |
| Abi-eshuh Abi-Eshuh Abi-Eshuh was an Amorite king of Babylon who reigned from 1711-1684 BC. He was preceded by Samsu-iluna.... or Abieshu |
ca. 1648—1620 BC | Son of Samsu-iluna |
| Ammi-ditana Ammi-Ditana Ammi-Ditana was a king of Babylon who reigned from 1683-1640s BC. He was preceded by Abi-Eshuh. Year-names survive for the first 37 years of his reign, plus fragments for a few possible additional years... |
ca. 1620—1583 BC | Son of Abi-eshuh |
| Ammi-saduqa Ammi-Saduqa Ammi-Saduqa was a king of the First Dynasty of Babylon. Some 21 year-names survive for his reign, including the first 17... or Ammisaduqa |
ca. 1582—1562 BC | Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa The Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa refers to the record of astronomical observations of Venus, as preserved in numerous cuneiform tablets dating from the first millennium BCE. It is believed that this astronomical record was first compiled during the reign of King Ammisaduqa , the fourth ruler after... |
| Samsu-Ditana Samsu-Ditana Samsu-Ditana was the King of Babylon, who reigned from 1626 BC to 1595 BC.Samsu-Ditana is the last king of the First Babylonian Dynasty. After the Hittite army under Mursilis I invaded Babylon, he was overthrown.... |
ca. 1562—1531 BC | Sack of Babylon |
Origins of the First Dynasty
The actual origins of the Dynasty are rather hard to pinpoint with great certainty simply because Babylon itself, due to a high water tableWater table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
, yields very few archaeological materials intact. Thus any evidence must come from surrounding regions and written records. Not much is known about the kings from Sumuabum through Sin-muballit
Sin-Muballit
Sin-Muballit was the father of Hammurabi. He was the fifth king of the first dynasty of Babylonia, reigning c. 1748 to 1729 BC. His son Hammurabi greatly expanded the Babylonian kingdom. Sin-Muballit succeeded Apil-Sin. No inscriptions for either king are known. In Sin-Muballit's 13th year, he...
other than the fact they were Amorites rather than indigenous Akkadians. What is known, however, is that they accumulated little land. When Hammurabi (also an Amorite) ascended the throne of Babylon, the empire only consisted of a few towns in the surrounding area: Dilbat
Dilbat
Dilbat was an ancient Sumerian minor city located southeast from Babylon on the eastern bank of the Western Euphrates in modern day Al-Qādisiyyah, Iraq....
, Sippar
Sippar
Sippar was an ancient Near Eastern city on the east bank of the Euphrates river, located at the site of modern Tell Abu Habbah in Iraq's Babil Governorate, some 60 km north of Babylon and 30 km southeast of Baghdad....
, Kish
Kish (Sumer)
Kish is modern Tell al-Uhaymir , and was an ancient city of Sumer. Kish is located some 12 km east of Babylon, and 80 km south of Baghdad ....
, and Borsippa
Borsippa
Borsippa was an important ancient city of Sumer, built on both sides of a lake about southwest of Babylon on the east bank of the Euphrates. The site of Borsippa is in Babil Governorate, Iraq and now called Birs Nimrud, identifying the site with Nimrod...
. Once Hammurabi was king, his military victories gained land for the empire. However, Babylon remained but one of several important areas in Mesopotamia, along with 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...
, then ruled by Shamshi-Adad I
Shamshi-Adad I
Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I (fl. late 18th century BC (short chronology) was an Assyrian king. He rose to prominence when he carved out an empire encompassing much of Mesopotamia, Syria and Asia Minor...
, and Larsa
Larsa
Larsa was an important city of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu. It lies some 25 km southeast of Uruk in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate, near the east bank of the Shatt-en-Nil canal at the site of the modern settlement Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah.-History:According to...
, then ruled by Rim-Sin.
In Hammurabi's thirtieth year as king, he really began to establish Babylon as the center of what would be a great empire. In that year, he conquered Larsa
Larsa
Larsa was an important city of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu. It lies some 25 km southeast of Uruk in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate, near the east bank of the Shatt-en-Nil canal at the site of the modern settlement Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah.-History:According to...
from Rim-Sin, thus gaining control over the lucrative urban centers of Nippur
Nippur
Nippur was one of the most ancient of all the Sumerian cities. It was the special seat of the worship of the Sumerian god Enlil, the "Lord Wind," ruler of the cosmos subject to An alone...
, Ur
Ur
Ur was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
, Uruk
Uruk
Uruk was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates river, on the ancient dry former channel of the Euphrates River, some 30 km east of modern As-Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.Uruk gave its name to the Uruk...
, and Isin
Isin
Isin was an ancient city-state of lower Mesopotamia about 20 miles south of Nippur at the site of modern Ishan al-Bahriyat in Iraq's Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate.-History:...
. In essence, Hammurabi gained control over all of south Mesopotamia. The other formidable political power in the region in the 2nd millennium was Eshnunna
Eshnunna
Eshnunna was an ancient Sumerian city and city-state in central Mesopotamia. Although situated in the Diyala Valley north-east of Sumer proper, the city nonetheless belonged securely within the Sumerian cultural milieu.The tutelary deity of the city was Tishpak .- History :Occupied from the Jemdet...
, which Hammurabi succeeded in capturing in c. 1761. Babylon exploited Eshnunna's well-established commercial trade routes and the economic stability that came with them. It was not long before Hammurabi's army took 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...
(another economic powerhouse) and parts of the Zagros Mountains
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
. In 1760, Hammurabi finally captured Mari
Mari, Syria
Mari was an ancient Sumerian and Amorite city, located 11 kilometers north-west of the modern town of Abu Kamal on the western bank of Euphrates river, some 120 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, Syria...
, the final piece of the puzzle that gave him control over virtually all of the territory that made up Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
under the Third Dynasty of Ur
Third Dynasty of Ur
The Third Dynasty of Ur, also known as the Neo-Sumerian Empire or the Ur III Empire refers simultaneously to a 21st to 20th century BC Sumerian ruling dynasty based in the city of Ur and a short-lived territorial-political state that some historians regard as a nascent empire...
in the 3rd millennium.
Hammurabi's other name was Hammurapi-ilu, meaning "Hammurapi the god" or perhaps "Hammurapi is god." He could have been Amraphel
Amraphel
In the Tanakh or Old Testament, Amraphel was a king of Shinar in Genesis xiv.1 and 9, who invaded the west along with Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and others, and defeated Sodom and the other Cities of the Plain in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim.Beginning with E...
king of Shinar
Shinar
Shinar was a geographical locale of uncertain boundaries in Mesopotamia. The name may be a corruption of Shene nahar , Shene or , or Sumer .It has been suggested that Shinar must have been confined to the northern part of Mesopotamia Shinar (Hebrew Šin`ar, Septuagint Σεννααρ Sennaar) was a...
or Sinear in the Jewish records and the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, a contemporary of Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
. Abraham lived from 1871 to 1784, according to modern interpretations of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
's figures that have been usually reckoned in modern half years before the Exodus, from equinox to equinox.
A recent translation of the Chogha Gavaneh tablets which date back to 1800 BC indicate there were close contacts between this town located in the intermontane valley of Islamabad in Central Zagros and Dyala region.
The Venus tablets of Ammisaduqa (i.e., several ancient versions on clay tablets) are famous, and several books had been published about them. Several dates have been offered but the old dates of many sourcebooks seems to be outdated and incorrect. There are further difficulties: the 21 years span of the detailed observations of the planet Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
may or may not coincide with the reign of this king, because his name is not mentioned, only the Year of the Golden Throne. A few sources, some printed almost a century ago, claim that the original text mentions an occultation of the Venus by the moon. However, this may be a misinterpretation. Calculations support 1659
1650s BC
-Events and trends:* c. 1655 BC—Tan-Uli, the ruler of the Elamite Empire, dies.* c. 1650 BC—Greeks start to live in Mycenae.* c. 1650 BC—Middle Kingdom ends in Ancient Egypt ....
for the fall of Babylon, based on the statistical probability of dating based on the planet's observations. The presently accepted middle chronology is too low from the astronomical point of view.
A text about the fall of Babylon by the Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
of Mursilis I at the end of Samsuditana's reign which tells about a twin eclipse is crucial for a correct Babylonian chronology. The pair of lunar and solar eclipses occurred in the month Shimanu (Sivan
Sivan
Sivan is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a spring month of 30 days...
). The lunar eclipse took place on February 9, 1659 BC
1650s BC
-Events and trends:* c. 1655 BC—Tan-Uli, the ruler of the Elamite Empire, dies.* c. 1650 BC—Greeks start to live in Mycenae.* c. 1650 BC—Middle Kingdom ends in Ancient Egypt ....
. It started at 4:43 and ended at 6:47. The latter was invisible which satisfies the record which tells that the setting moon was still eclipsed. The solar eclipse occurred on February 23, 1659. It started at 10:26, has its maximum at 11:45, and ended at 13:04.
See also
- Chronology of the Ancient Near EastChronology of the ancient Near EastThe chronology of the Ancient Near East provides a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Individual inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers, taking forms like "in the year X of king Y". Thus by piecing together many...
- Kings of Babylon
- List of ancient king lists
- List of Mesopotamian dynasties
- Short chronology timelineShort chronology timelineThe short chronology is one chronology of the Near Eastern Bronze and Early Iron Age, which fixes the reign of Hammurabi to 1728 BC – 1686 BC and the sack of Babylon to 1531 BC....