Cities and nomads: Syria and Mesopotamia in the Middle Bronze AgeOctober 27, 2009

Introduction to the Ancient Near EastBrown University ~ Fall 2009

E.kur (House, the Mountain) Sanctuary of Enlil[Construction activity by Kings of Ur: Ur-Namma, Shulgi, Amar-Suen late 21st c. and early 20th BC]

Euphrathes canals.

E.bara.dur.gar.ra Sanctuary of InannaShulgi (2029-1982)

Archaeological Projects at Nippur: A frustrated Austin Henry Layard (1851) dug some holes. University of Pennsylvania (1889-1900), Oriental Institute, University of Chicago (1948-2002)

Fortification walls. Begun by Ur-Nammu (2047-2030 BC), repaired by Ibbi-Suen (1963-1940 BC)

Ur: Tell al Mugayyar

Isin

Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC)

Yamhad

Ebla

Mari

Isin-Larsa

Babylon

Assur

scribal schools (é-dubba)

scribes (dub-sar)

Second dynasty of Lagaš (Late 22nd-early 21st c. BC)Gudea (7th ruler, ca 2121-2110 BC)

Third dynasty of Ur (2112-2004 BC)Šulgi (2nd ruler, 2094-2047 BC)

Old Babylonian period (2000-1600 BC)

65 den-líl á-dam-kù ki-a HAR-ra-za Enlil when you mapped out the holy settlement on the earthEnlil when you mapped out the holy settlement on the earth

66 nibruki uru ní-za ši-im-mi-dù-dù-àm You built the city Nippur by yourselfYou built the city Nippur by yourself

67 ki-ùr ki-sikil-zu a-bí-du10-ga The The kiurkiur, your pure place, your pure place

68 ub-da-limmú-ba murub4-ba dur-an-ki-ka ki ba-e-ni-tag-ge In the In the dur-an-kidur-an-ki, in the middle of the four quarters of the , in the middle of the four quarters of the

earth, you founded it earth, you founded it

69 sahar-bi zi-kalam-ma zi-kur-kur-ra-kaIts soil is the life of the land (Sumer), the life of all the foreignIts soil is the life of the land (Sumer), the life of all the foreign

lands. lands. 70 sig4-bi kù-huš-a uru4-na4 za-gìn-na-ka Its brickwork is gleaming gold, its foundation is lapis-lazuli.

71 am-gim ke-en-ge-ra si mul ba-ni-ib-béLike a steer, it raises up its horns in Sumer,

72 kur-kur-re sag im-ma-da-sìg-geAll the lands bow their heads,

73 ezen-gal-gal-bi ukù-e nam-hé-a u4-bi mu-un-di-ni-ib-zal-eAt its great feasts, the people spend the day in abundance.

(Translation D. Reisman 1969)

Nippur: literary texts: collective imagination

Sumerian Literary Composition “Hymn to Enlil” Lines 65-73

cattle-pen : tùr sheepfold : amašshepherd : sipa

93 den-líl sipa-zi téš-ba lu-aEnlil, faithful shepherd of everything that multipliesEnlil, faithful shepherd of everything that multiplies

94 na-gada mas-su-nì-zi-gál-la-kaShepherd, the leader of living creaturesShepherd, the leader of living creatures

Hymn to Enlil (D. Reisman 1969).

109 kur-gal den-líl-da nu-me-aWithout the Great Mountain, EnlilWithout the Great Mountain, Enlil

110 uru nu-dù á-dam ki li-bí-ib-garCities would not be constructed, habitations would not be foundedCities would not be constructed, habitations would not be founded

111 tùr nu-dù amaš nu-gar-garCattlepen would be not constructed, sheepfold would not be set up

112 lugal nu-íl-e en nu-ù-tuKings would not be raised up, rulers would not be born

...

1 tùr me nun-e ba-dù-a-biafter the cattle-pen had been built for the foremost rituals —after the cattle-pen had been built for the foremost rituals —

Nippur Lament (S. Tinney 1996)

Nippur Lament (S. Tinney 1996)

2 líl-e a-gin7 íb-sìg ki-bi me-na gi4-gi4

how did it become haunted? when will it be restoredhow did it become haunted? when will it be restored

3 še-eb na-ám-tar-ra ba-mar-ra-ri (where) once the brick of fate had been laid—(where) once the brick of fate had been laid—

4 me-bi a-ba-a in-bir-re a-še-er ba-da-tabwho scattered its rituals who scattered its rituals ((meme))?? the lamentation is reprised the lamentation is reprised:

5 ŠID nibruki èš dur-an-ki-aThe storeroom of Nippur, shrine DurankiThe storeroom of Nippur, shrine Duranki

6 líl-e a-gin7 íb-sìg ki-bi me-na gi4-gi4

how did it become haunted? when will it be restored?how did it become haunted? when will it be restored?

12 úru zi šà-sù-ga a-gin7 ba-an-[dù]how did the true city become empty how did the true city become empty

13 giš-hur kal-la-bi šu-pe-el-la ba-a[b-dug4]its precious designs have been defiled!its precious designs have been defiled!

...

Isin

Yamhad

Ebla

Mari

Isin-Larsa

Babylon

Assur

Marc van de Mieroop’s “political events”

Traces of pastoralism?

Cultures of pastoralism in the North Mesopotamian steppe

North Syria and the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1600 BC) major urban centers

Tell Mardikh/Ebla : aerial view and city plan (Matthiae et. al. 1995)

Tell Mardikh/Ebla, South-West GateAxonometric and view

Tell Mardikh/Ebla, South-West GatePlan and section (Davico et.al. 1967)

Section

Plan

Orthostats

Temple D

Tell Mardikh/Ebla, Temple D

Temple D

Tell Mardikh/Ebla, Temple D, orthostat blocks.

Tell Mardikh/Ebla, Monument P3Ishtar cult area.

Isin

Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC)

Yamhad

Ebla

Mari

Isin-Larsa

Babylon

Assur

Wall Painting from Zimri-Lim’s Palace at Mari (ca 1775 BC). “Investiture of Zimri-Lim

Investiture of Zimri-LimWall painting detail from the Palace at Mari

Mari sculpture from Early Dynastic Ishtar and Ninni-Zaza (INANNA-ZA.ZA)temples(ca 2500-2250 BC). Mostly gypsum.

Mari, Ninni-Zazza templeDedicated by the singer (“master musician”) Ur-Nanshe (from the cuneiform inscr.)ED III (2550-2250 BC)

Isin

Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC)

Yamhad

Ebla

Mari

Isin-Larsa

Babylon

Assur

Stele of Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC), and his famous “law code” Louvre Museum

From the text of Stele of Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC), his famous “law code”

228 If a builder build a house for some one (awilum) and complete it, he shall give him a fee of two shekels in money for each sar of surface.

229 If a builder build a house for some one (awilum), and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.

230 If it kill the son of the owner the son (dumu/mushkenum) of that builder shall be put to death.

231 If it kill a slave (wardum) of the owner, then he shall pay slave for slave to the owner of the house.

232 If it ruin goods, he shall make compensation for all that has been ruined, and inasmuch as he did not construct properly this house which he built and it fell, he shall re-erect the house from his own means.

233 If a builder build a house for some one, even though he has not yet completed it; if then the walls seem toppling, the builder must make the walls solid from his own means.