Nabu-shum-libur

Nabû-šuma-libūr, "O Nabû, may the son stay in good health,"^[1] (1033 – 1026 BC) was the 11^th and last king of the 2^nd Dynasty of Isin, the 4^th Dynasty of Babylon. He ruled during a period of instability due to incursions of Aramean nomadic tribesmen in Northwest Babylonia.

Biography

There is very little extant material for his reign. The legal text pictured^{[i 1]} is from his first year. It was found at Kār-Bēlet-Ilāni near Nippur and details the reimbursement of the šandabakku, or governor, of Nippur with land after he ransomed a man from the enemy.^{[nb 1]}

A stone duck weight^{[i 2]} inscribed Nabû-šuma-libūr, optimistically titled šar kiššati (“king of the world”),^{[nb 2]} found its way to the Northwest palace of Nimrud, where it was discovered by Layard in the mid 19^th century, and perhaps indicates continued trade.^[2] It was marked 30 minas (about 15 kilograms).

Ominous portents dated for his reign are included in a damaged religious chronicle of the Seleucid era.^{[i 3]} It records, “a lion was lying lurking and they killed it,” a prophecy fulfilled by the fall of the dynasty.^[3] The events at the end of his reign are not known, but the dynasty was followed by the 2^nd Dynasty of Sealand when a substantial part of southern Mesopotamia seceded.

Inscriptions

1. ^ Tablet ME 139424, on display in room 55 of the British Museum.
2. ^ Alabaster duck-weight with two panels of cuneiform inscription; top of bird's head lost; abraded, BM 91432.
3. ^ The Religious Chronicle, tablet BM 35968 (ABC 17) column 1.

Notes

1. ^ The “enemy” is recorded as LÚ.KÚR.MEŠ, and is unspecific.
2. ^ Transliterated: 30 ma- <na> gl-na [ ] sa ^dAG. Mu-li-bur LUGAL DIN.[ ], translated: “30 mina, correct, of Nabû-šuma-libūr, king of the world.”

References