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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