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Suhum

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Map of Mesopotamia during the kingdom of Shamshi-Adad I showing the location of Suhum near the Euphrates

Suhum (Sūḫu, or Suhi[1]) was an ancient geographic region around the middle course of the Euphrates River, in modern Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq.[2]

History

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Its known history covers the period from the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1700/1600 BCE) to the Iron Age (c. 1200–700 BCE).[3]

Middle Bronze

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During the Old Babylonian period Suhum lay at the intersection between four powerful entities, Eshnunna, Ekallatum, Mari and Babylon which at various times exercise some element of control over it. A key city in Suhum during that time was Harrâdum which marked the border between Eshnunna and Mari and was founded by Eshnunna. During the Bronze Age, Suhum was divided into an Upper Suhum which stretched from Hindanum to Sapiratum, with its major city being Hanat, and a Lower Suhum. For a time Upper Suhum was controlled by Ipiq-Adad II of Eshnunna via a governor at Rapiqum. With the rise in power of Babylon, under Samsu-iluna, control shifted and Babylon governed Suhum under a governor stationed at Hanat.[4] Suhum was under the control of Ekallatum during the reign of Shamshi-Adad I with a text reporting 1000 troops raised from there.[5] Abi-epuḫ and Meptum were known to be governors of Suhum in that time.[6][7] Several ancient letters place the Sutean people as having lived in the region of Suhum.[8] A fragmentary text from the Old Babylonian period lists 40 workers from Suhum assigned to reaping at Sippar.[9] There was a necropolis at Al-Ussiyeh in Suhum.[10] Other known cities of Suhum in the Old Babylonian period were Ayyabe, Dunnum, Harbe, Hurban (in Upper Suhum), Mulhan (northernmost city of lower Suhum), Nasir, Qasa, Sapiratum (island city), and Yabliya.[11]

Iron Age

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In this period Sūru was a fortified city of Suhum. A known governor of Suhum at that time was Kudurru. For a time Suhum paid tribute to Neo-Assyrian ruler Ashurnasirpal II (883–859 BC).[12][13] In 616 BCE, Suhum subordinated themselves to the king of Babylon, Nabopolassar (ruled 626-605 BC).[14] Three years later, in 613 BC, Suhum rebelled against him, which led Nabopolassar to send an expedition against Suhum.

References

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  1. ^ Russell, H. F. (1985). "The Historical Geography of the Euphrates and Habur According to the Middle- and Neo-Assyrian Sources". Iraq. 47: 57–74. doi:10.2307/4200232. JSTOR 4200232.
  2. ^ Edmonds, Alexander Johannes, "New Light on the Land of Sūḫu: A Review Article and new Political History", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 114, no. 1, pp. 58-83, 2024
  3. ^ Bartelmus, Alexa (2016). "A Short Introduction on the Sūḫu Texts". oracc.museum.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  4. ^ Kepinski, Christine, "Organization of Harrâdum, Suhum, 18th–17th Centuries b.c., Iraqi Middle Euphrates", Organization, Representation, and Symbols of Power in the Ancient Near East: Proceedings of the 54th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale at Würzburg 20–25 Jul, edited by Gernot Wilhelm, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 143-154, 2012
  5. ^ Sasson, Jack M, "Siege Mentality: Fighting at the City Gate in the Mari Archives", Marbeh Ḥokmah: Studies in the Bible and the Ancient Near East in Loving Memory of Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, edited by Shamir Yonah, Edward L. Greenstein, Mayer I. Gruber, Peter Machinist and Shalom M. Paul, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 465-478, 2015
  6. ^ Charpin, Dominique, "Controlling Cross- Border Traffic", Writing, Law, and Kingship in Old Babylonian Mesopotamia, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 115-126, 2010
  7. ^ Sasson, Jack M., "Warfare", From the Mari Archives: An Anthology of Old Babylonian Letters, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 181-214, 2015
  8. ^ Heimpel, Wolfgang, "Introduction", Letters to the King of Mari: A New Translation, with Historical Introduction, Notes, and Commentary, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 1-36, 2003
  9. ^ Harris, Rivkah, "On Foreigners in Old Babylonian Sippar", Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie Orientale, vol. 70, no. 2, pp. 145–52, 1976
  10. ^ Barberon, Lucile, "To Dedicate or Marry a Nadîtu-Woman of Marduk in Old Babylonian Society", La famille dans le Proche-Orient ancien: réalités, symbolismes et images: Proceedings of the 55e Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Paris, edited by Lionel Marti, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 267-274, 2014
  11. ^ Heimpel, Wolfgang, "Index of Place-Names", Letters to the King of Mari: A New Translation, with Historical Introduction, Notes, and Commentary, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 605-630, 2003
  12. ^ Portuese, Ludovico, "Merciful messages in the reliefs of Ashurnasirpal II: the land of Suḫu", Egitto e vicino oriente: rivista annuale della sezione di Egittologia e Scienze Storiche del Vicino Oriente, Dipartimento di Civiltà e Forme del Sapere dell'Università degli studi di Pisa: XXXIX, pp. 179-199, 2016
  13. ^ Edmonds, Alexander Johannes, "New Light on the Land of Sūḫu: A Review Article and new Political History", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 114, no. 1, pp. 58-83, 2024
  14. ^ Beaulieu, Paul-Alain, "The City of Ur and the Neo-Babylonian Empire", Ur in the Twenty-First Century CE: Proceedings of the 62nd Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale at Philadelphia, July 11–15, 2016, edited by Grant Frame, Joshua Jeffers and Holly Pittman, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 153-170, 2021

Further reading

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  • Charpin, D., "Sapîratum, ville du Suhûm", MARI 8, pp. 341-366, 1997
  • Clancier P., "À l’ombre des grandes puissances de Mésopotamie : une histoire du Sūhu à l’époque néo-assyrienne", Culture and history of the ancient Near East 114, Leyde, Boston, 2020
  • Clancier, Philippe, "Une histoire du Sūhu de la fin du IXe siècle au milieu du VIIIe", À l’ombre des grandes puissances de Mésopotamie. Brill, pp. 368-482, 2020
  • Cohen, Yoram, "A Letter from the Governor of Emar to the Governor of Suḫu", JA 303, pp. 175–180, 2015
  • Durand, Jean-Marie and Marti, Lionel, "Chroniques du moyen-euphrate 5. Une attaque de Qaṭna par le Sûhum et la question du 'Pays de Mari'", RA 99, pp. 123–132, 2005
  • Dion, Paul-Eugène, "Les Araméens du Moyen-Euphrate au VIIIe siècle à la lumière des inscriptions des maîtres de Suhu et Mari", Congress Volume Paris 1992, Brill, pp. 53–73, 1995
  • Joannes, F., Kepinski, C., Lecomte, O., "Presence babylonienne dans le pays de Suhu au xv11e siecle av. J.-C.: l'exemple de Khirbet ed Diniye (Irak)", RA 77, 1983, pp. 119-142, 1983
  • Joannes, F., "La conquête du pays de Suhum par le royaume d’Eshnunna et les liens tribaux en-tre la Diyala, la Mésopotamie du sud, la péninsule arabique et la vallée du moyen-Euphrate", BaM 37, pp. 117–130, 2007
  • Lacambre, Denis, "La region du Suhum a l’epoque des archives de Mari (XIXe-XVIIIe siecles av. J.-C.)", Studia Euphratica. Le moyen Euphrate iraquien révélé par les fouilles préventives de Haditha 3, pp. 129-156, 2006