Introduction to the Ancient Near East Brown University ~ Fall 2009 Cities and nomads: Syria and Mesopotamia in the Middle Bronze Age October 27, 2009

E.kur (House, the Mountain) Sanctuary of Enlil 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) 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] E.bara.dur.gar.ra Sanctuary of Inanna Shulgi (2029-1982) Fortification walls. Begun by Ur-Nammu (2047-2030 BC), repaired by Ibbi-Suen (1963-1940 BC) Euphrathes canals.

Ur: Tell al Mugayyar

Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC) Yamhad Ebla Assur Mari Babylon Isin Isin-Larsa Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC)

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)

Nippur: literary texts: collective imagination Sumerian Literary Composition “Hymn to Enlil” Lines 65-73 65 den-líl á-dam-kù ki-a HAR-ra-za Enlil 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 yourself 67 ki-ùr ki-sikil-zu a-bí-du10-ga The kiur, your pure place 68 ub-da-limmú-ba murub4-ba dur-an-ki-ka ki ba-e-ni-tag-ge In the dur-an-ki, in the middle of the four quarters of the earth, you founded it sahar-bi zi-kalam-ma zi-kur-kur-ra-ka Its soil is the life of the land (Sumer), the life of all the foreign 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-bé Like a steer, it raises up its horns in Sumer, 72 kur-kur-re sag im-ma-da-sìg-ge All the lands bow their heads, 73 ezen-gal-gal-bi ukù-e nam-hé-a u4-bi mu-un-di-ni-ib-zal-e At its great feasts, the people spend the day in abundance. (Translation D. Reisman 1969)

cattle-pen : tùr sheepfold : amaš shepherd : sipa

93 den-líl sipa-zi téš-ba lu-a Enlil, faithful shepherd of everything that multiplies 94 na-gada mas-su-nì-zi-gál-la-ka Shepherd, the leader of living creatures ... 109 kur-gal den-líl-da nu-me-a Without the Great Mountain, Enlil 110 uru nu-dù á-dam ki li-bí-ib-gar Cities would not be constructed, habitations would not be founded 111 tùr nu-dù amaš nu-gar-gar Cattlepen would be not constructed, sheepfold would not be set up 112 lugal nu-íl-e en nu-ù-tu Kings would not be raised up, rulers would not be born Hymn to Enlil (D. Reisman 1969).

1 tùr me nun-e ba-dù-a-bi after the cattle-pen had been built for the foremost rituals — 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 restored 3 še-eb na-ám-tar-ra ba-mar-ra-ri (where) once the brick of fate had been laid— 4 me-bi a-ba-a in-bir-re a-še-er ba-da-tab who scattered its rituals (me)? the lamentation is reprised: 5 ŠID nibruki èš dur-an-ki-a The 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? ... 12 úru zi šà-sù-ga a-gin7 ba-an-[dù] 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! Nippur Lament (S. Tinney 1996)

Marc van de Mieroop’s “political events” Mari Yamhad Ebla Assur Marc van de Mieroop’s “political events” Mari Babylon Isin Isin-Larsa

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 Gate Axonometric and view

Orthostats Plan Section Tell Mardikh/Ebla, South-West Gate Plan and section (Davico et.al. 1967)

Temple D Temple D Tell Mardikh/Ebla, Temple D

Tell Mardikh/Ebla, Temple D, orthostat blocks.

Tell Mardikh/Ebla, Monument P3 Ishtar cult area.

Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC) Yamhad Ebla Assur Mari Babylon Isin Isin-Larsa Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC)

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

Investiture of Zimri-Lim Wall 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 temple Dedicated by the singer (“master musician”) Ur-Nanshe (from the cuneiform inscr.) ED III (2550-2250 BC)

Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC) Yamhad Ebla Assur Mari Babylon Isin Isin-Larsa Middle Bronze Age/Old Babylonian Period in Mesopotamia (2000-1600 BC)

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.