Niqmi-Epuh
Great King of Yamhad
Reignc.1700 BC – c.1675 BC. Middle chronology
PredecessorYarim-Lim II
SuccessorIrkabtum

Niqmi-Epuḫ, also given as Niqmepa (reigned c.1700 BC – c.1675 BC - Middle chronology) was the king of Yamḫad (Halab) succeeding his father Yarim-Lim II.

Reign

Legal case from Niqmi-Epuh to the king of Alalakh concerning the legacy of two houses

Little of Aleppo has been excavated by archaeologists, knowledge about Niqmi-Epuh comes from tablets discovered at Alalaḫ.[1] His existence is confirmed by a number of tablets with his seal on their envelope[2]

Yarim-Lim king of Alalakh, uncle of Yarim-Lim II and vassal of Yamhad died during Niqmi-Epuh's reign and was succeeded by his son Ammitakum,[3] who started to assert Alalakh's semi-independence.[4]

The tablets mention Niqmi-Epuh's votive status which he dedicated to Hadad and placed it in that deity's Temple.[5] Tablet AlT*11 informs of his return from Nishin, a place not known before, but certainly inside the territory of Yamhad because the tablet seems to refer to travel and not a military campaign.[6]

Niqmi-Epuh's most celebrated deed was his conquest of the town Arazik, near Charchemish,[7] the fall of this city was important to the extent of being suitable for dating several legal cases.[8]

Niqmi-Epuh Seal

The seal of Niqmi-Epuh includes his name written in cuneiform inscription. The king is depicted wearing a crown, facing two goddesses, one in Syrian dress, while and the other is wearing Babylonian dress.[9]

Death and succession

Niqmi-Epuh died ca. 1675 BC. He seems to have a number of sons, including Irkabtum who succeeded him immediately, prince Abba-El,[10] and possibly Yarim-Lim III.[11] Hammurabi III the last king before the Hittites conquest might have been his son too.[12]

References

Citations

  1. prof : Ahmad Arhim Hebbo (1993). History of Ancient Levant (part 1) Syria.
  2. Douglas Frayne (January 1990). Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 BC). p. 792. ISBN 9780802058737.
  3. Horst Klengel (20 March 1992). Syria, 3000 to 300 B.C. p. 62. ISBN 9783050018201.
  4. THOMAS, D. WINTON (1967). Archaeology and Old Testament study: jubilee volume of the Society for Old Testament Study, 1917-1967. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-19-813150-2.
  5. Direction Générale des Antiquités et des Musées., 1999 (1999). Annales archéologiques Arabes Syriennes, Volume 43. p. 174.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. Horst Klengel (20 March 1992). Syria, 3000 to 300 B.C. p. 62. ISBN 9783050018201.
  7. Akadémiai Kiadó, 1984 (1984). Acta Antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Volume 30. p. 12.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. James Bennett Pritchard,Daniel E. Fleming (2011). The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures. p. 197. ISBN 978-0691147260.
  9. Dominique Collon (January 1995). Ancient Near Eastern Art. p. 96. ISBN 9780520203075.
  10. Michael C. Astour (1989). Hittite history and absolute chronology of the Bronze Age. p. 18. ISBN 9789186098865.
  11. wilfred van soldt (1999). Akkadica, Volumes 111-120. p. 105.
  12. Douglas Frayne (January 1990). Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 BC). p. 794. ISBN 9780802058737.
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