| Marduk-šāpik-zēri | |
|---|---|
| King of Babylon | |
| Reign | ca. 1082–1069 BC |
| Predecessor | Marduk-nadin-aḫḫē |
| Successor | Adad-apla-iddina |
| Royal House | 2nd Dynasty of Isin |
Marduk-šāpik-zēri,[nb 1] ca. 1082–1069 BC, was the 7th king of the 2nd dynasty of Isin and 4th dynasty of Babylon and he ruled for 13 years.[i 1] His relationship with his predecessor, Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē is uncertain. His reign overlapped that of the Assyrian king Aššur-bēl-kala and his immediate predecessor(s) as the Synchronistic King List[i 2] places him along side both Tukultī-apil-Ešarra and Aššur-bēl-kala.
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He succeeded Marduk-nadin-aḫḫē, who may possibly have been his father or brother, during a time when the Arameans, driven by famine, were engaged in attacking the Assyrias under Tukultī-apil-Ešarra during his latter years, which Younger places in Tukultī-apil-Ešarra’s 32nd year, or 1081/80 BC.[1] The events are recorded on a fragmentary chronicle.[i 3] In a letter from the Babylonian astrologer Bel-ušezib to Esarhaddon, 681 – 669 BC, he wrote, “Bel has said: May Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, be seated on his throne like Marduk-šāpik-zēri! I will deliver all the countries into his hands!”[2] and this may suggest that he was a younger son of Nabû-kudurri-uṣur or there was perhaps a struggle over the succession.[3]
He repaired the E-zida at Borsippa as witnessed by a building inscription, reproduced on a neo-Babylonian tablet,[i 4] from the reign of Kandalanu whose colophon records that it was copied by Nabû-šumu-līšir. He provided gold votive offerings to the temples of Ur, Nippur and elsewhere.[3] He rebuilt the wall of Babylon, the Imgur-Enlil, for which a fragmentary inscription[i 5] has come to light,[nb 2][4] confirmed by the Eclectic Chronicle[i 6] which continues,
He conquered the kings of the lands. During his reign, the people of the land enjoyed prosperity. He made an entente cordiale with Aššur-bêl-kala, king of Assyria. At that time, the king went from Assyria to Sippar.—Eclectic Chronicle, Lines 5 to 7.
The Synchronistic Chronicle[i 7] confirms the alliance with Assyria, probably forged to counter the growing threat from the Arameans, and notes that he died during Aššur-bêl-kala’s reign.[5] This records his name as Marduk-shapik-zer-mati and it has been argued by Poebel that this is merely a scribal error, where MAN, šar, “king,” was taken to be part of his name. A kudurru[i 8] records the recovery of certain landed property by Sin-Kabti-ilani the son of Shamash-shum-lishir the grandson of Kudurri.[6] If the reference to Marduk-[…] can be identified with him in the Chronicle of the Market Prices,[i 9] the cost of goods was unexceptional.[3] Another fragment of a kudurru[i 10] has a secondary inscription dated to his twelth year. An inscription of Napsamenni, chief of the seers and high priest of Enlil in Nippur, adorns a duck weight and there is an economic text dated to his third year.[5]