Iblul-Il

Iblul-Il
King of Mari
Tenure c. 2380 BC. Middle chronology
Predecessor Išhtup-Išar
Successor Nizi
King of Mari
Wife Paba.[1]

Iblul-Il (reigned c. 2380 BC),[2] was the most energetic king (Lugal) of the second Mariote kingdom, noted for his extensive campaigns in the middle Euphrates valley against the Eblaites, and in the upper Tigris region against various opponents, which asserted the Mariote supremacy in the Syrian north.

Reign

Sources

Iblul-Il is attested in Mari, where statues bearing his name were excavated in 1952 from the city's temples.[2] However, the deeds of the king are recorded in a letter sent to Ebla by Enna-Dagan, a successor of Iblul-Il.[3]

Campaigns

Second Mariote kingdom during the reign of Iblul-Il

Iblul-Il campaigned extensively against Ebla and its vassals and allies.[3] The offensive was probably due to Ebla's increasing militaristic character, and was meant to block the trade route between Kish, Nagar and Ebla.[4] Iblul-Il was a contemporary of Ebla's king Igrish-Halam,[4] and is mentioned in the letter of Enna-Dagan campaigning in the middle Euphrates defeating the city of Galalalneni,[5] and engaging in a victorious battle with Abarsal in the region of Zahiran,[note 1][7] which he destroyed.[5] Next, Iblul-Il campaigned in the region of Burman of the land of Sugurum, where he defeated the cities of Shadab, Addalini and Arisum.[5] The campaigns continued as the king sacked the cities of Sharan and Dammium,[5] and advanced on Neraad and Hasuwan, receiving the tribute from Ebla at the city of Mane, then continued his march and conquered Emar.[5]

In the Tigris valley, Iblul-Il defeated the cities of Nahal, Nubat and Sha-da from the region of Gasur, at a battle in the land of Ganane.[note 2][8] Iblul-Il is finally mentioned in the letter conquering the Eblaite cities of Barama, Aburu, Tibalat and Belan.[note 3][5] The Mariote king successfully achieved his goals and weakened Ebla, exacting a great amount of tribute in the form of gold and silver.[4]

Succession

Iblul-Il was succeeded by Nizi.[11] The letter of Enna-Dagan is extremely difficult to read,[12] and early decipherment presented the author as a general of Ebla who defeated and deposed Iblul-Il.[13] However, further decipherment of the archives of Ebla showed Enna-Dagan as a prince of Mari,[14] and receiving gifts from Ebla during the reigns of his Mariote predecessors.[15]

King Iblul-Il of Mari
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Išhtup-Išar		 King of Mari
2380 BC 		Succeeded by
Nizi

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Abarsal is probably located along the Euphrates river east of Ebla.[6]
  2. ↑ According to Michael Astour, those three cities belonged to the region named Gasur-Nuzi in the northern Tigris area.[8] However, other scholars such as Marco Bonechi place Gasur in the middle Euphrates valley to the northwest of Mari.[9]
  3. ↑ Belan is located 26 km west of Ar-Raqqah.[10]

Citations

  1. ↑ Pelio Fronzaroli (2003). Semitic and Assyriological Studies: Presented to Pelio Fronzaroli by Pupils and Colleagues (in Italian). p. 556.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 William J. Hamblin (2006). Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. p. 242.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 I. Tzvi Abusch, Carol Noyes, William W. Hallo, Irene Winter (2001). Proceedings of the XLV Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale: Historiography in the Cuneiform World, Part 1. p. 1.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Monuments of War, War of Monuments: Some Considerations on Commemorating War in the Third Millennium BC. Orientalia Vol.76/4". Davide Nadali. 2007. p. 350. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Mario Liverani (2013). The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. p. 119.
  6. ↑ "Alfonso Archi and Maria Giovanna Biga, In Search of Armi, Journal of Cuneiform Studies Vol. 63, pp. 5-34". The American Schools of Oriental Research. 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Edgar Peltenberg (2007). Euphrates River Valley Settlement: The Carchemish Sector in the Third Millennium BC. p. 118.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Martha A. Morrison,David I. Owen (1987). General Studies and Excavations at Nuzi 9/1. p. 13.
  9. ↑ Lluís Feliu (2003). The God Dagan in Bronze Age Syria. p. 23.
  10. ↑ P.M. Michèle Daviau,Michael Weigl,John W. Wevers (2001). The World of the Aramaeans: Studies in Honour of Paul-Eugène Dion, Volume 1. p. 233.
  11. ↑ Douglas Frayne (2008). Pre-Sargonic Period: Early Periods, Volume 1 (2700-2350 BC). p. 815.
  12. ↑ Martha A. Morrison,David I. Owen (1987). General Studies and Excavations at Nuzi 9/1. p. 12.
  13. ↑ Victor Harold Matthews,Don C. Benjamin (2006). Old Testament Parallels: Laws and Stories from the Ancient Near East. p. 261.
  14. ↑ Douglas Frayne (2008). Pre-Sargonic Period: Early Periods, Volume 1 (2700-2350 BC). p. 778.
  15. ↑ Douglas Frayne (2008). Pre-Sargonic Period: Early Periods, Volume 1 (2700-2350 BC). p. 817.