Irkab-Damu Explained

Irkab-Damu
King of Ebla
Reign:c. 2340 BC. Middle chronology
Predecessor:Igrish-Halam
Succession1:King of Ebla
Spouse:Dusigu
Spouse-Type:Wife
Consort:yes
Issue:Isar-Damu
Princess Iti-Mut.[1]
Princess Tarib-Damu.[2]
Princess Tište-Damu.
Princess Tinib-Dulum.[3]
Father:Igrish-Halam
Mother:Kesdut

Irkab-Damu (reigned c. 2340 BC),[4] was the king (Malikum) of the first Eblaite kingdom, whose era saw Ebla's turning into the dominant power in the Levant.[5] [6]

During his reign, the vizier started to acquire an important role in running the affair of the state and the military. Irkab-Damu's reign is also noted for the wide diplomatic relations between Ebla and the surrounding kingdoms.[7] [8] [9]

Reign

Irkab-Damu succeeded king Igrish-Halam,[10] [11] whose reign was characterized by an Eblaite weakness, and tribute paying to the kingdom of Mari with whom Ebla fought a long war. Irkab-Damu started his reign by concluding a peace and trading treaty with Abarsal (probably located along the Euphrates river east of Ebla),[12] one of the first recorded treaties in history.[13] Ebla paid tribute to Mari during Irkab-Damu's first years on the throne. A letter from king Enna-Dagan of Mari was discovered at Ebla,[14] and was used by the Mariote monarch as a tool to assert Mari's authority, as it contained a historic telling of the victories won by Enna-Dagans's predecessors over Ebla.[15]

Expansion

Irkab-Damu launched a successful counteroffensive against Mari, and ended the tribute.[5] [6] He expanded the borders of Ebla to its greatest extent, and controlled an area roughly half the size of modern Syria,[16] half of which was under the direct control of the king and administered by governors, while the rest consisted of vassal kingdoms paying tribute and supplying military assistance to Ebla. A tablet from Ebla mention an Eblaite victory over Nagar, most probably during Irakb-Damu's reign.[17] The same tablet mention the concluding of a treaty with Enna-Dagan. Irkab-Damu appointed Arrukum as the first vizier of Ebla,[18] who kept his office for five years,[19] and had his son Ruzi-Malik marrying princess Iti-Mut, the daughter of the king.[1]

Diplomacy was an important part of Irkab-Damu's policy, a clay tablet found in the archives at Ebla, bears a copy of a diplomatic message sent from Ebla to king Zizi of Hamazi, along with a large quantity of wood, hailing him as a brother,[20] and requesting him to send mercenaries in exchange.[21] Gifts from Ancient Egypt were discovered in the royal palace, indicating the far reaching relations of Ebla,[22] which is described by Karl Moore as the history first world power.[23]

Succession and family

Irkab-Damu was the son of Igrish-Halam and his queen Kesdut.[24] He ruled for eleven years, and married Dusigu in his fifth year on the throne.[25] Irkab-Damu last two years saw the rise of vizier Ibrium,[19] who campaigned against Abarsal during Arrukum's term, and became Ebla's strongest official during the reign of Irkab-Damu's son and successor Isar-Damu.

See also

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Jewels for the Ladies of Ebla . Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie. 92. 162. 2002. 10.1515/zava.2002.92.2.161. Archi. Alfonso. 2. 161759399.
  2. Jewels for the Ladies of Ebla . Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie. 92. 183. 2002. 10.1515/zava.2002.92.2.161. Archi. Alfonso. 2. 161759399.
  3. Jewels for the Ladies of Ebla . Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie. 92. 170. 2002. 10.1515/zava.2002.92.2.161. Archi. Alfonso. 2. 161759399.
  4. Book: Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. William J. Hamblin. 239. 9781134520626. 2006-09-27.
  5. Book: Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East. Amanda H. Podany. 24. 2010. 9780199798759.
  6. Book: Early Urbanism on the Syrian Euphrates. Lisa Cooper. 64. 2006. 9781134261079.
  7. Book: The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Mario Liverani. 207. 9781134750917. 2013-12-04.
  8. Book: Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. Joan Aruz . Ronald Wallenfels . 462. 2003. 9781588390431.
  9. Book: The Development of Pre-State Communities in the Ancient Near East: Studies in Honour of Edgar Peltenburg. Diane Bolger . Louise C. Maguire . 132. 2010. 9781842178379.
  10. Book: Mythologie et religion des sémites occidentaux, Nummer 1. fr. Gregorio del Olmo Lete. 118. 2008. 9789042918979.
  11. Book: Ideologies as Intercultural Phenomena: Proceedings of the Third Annual Symposium of the Assyrian and Babylonian Intellectual Heritage Project, Held in Chicago, USA, October 27-31, 2000. Antonio Panaino . Giovanni Pettinato . 200. 2002. 9788884831071.
  12. In Search of Armi. Journal of Cuneiform Studies. 63. 5–34. 2011. 10.5615/jcunestud.63.0005. 10.5615/jcunestud.63.0005. Archi. Alfonso. 1. 163552750.
  13. Book: Justice Among Nations. Stephen C. Neff. 14. 2014. 9780674726543.
  14. Book: Ancient Iraq. Georges Roux. 200. 1992. 9780141938257.
  15. Book: The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Mario Liverani. 119. 2013. 9781134750849.
  16. Book: Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. William J. Hamblin. 240. 9781134520626. 2006-09-27.
  17. Book: Excavations at Tell Brak: vol 2. Nagar in the third millennium BC. David Oates, Joan Oates, Helen McDonald. 100. 2001. 9780951942093.
  18. Book: Archiv für Orientforschung, Volume 44,Deel 1 -Volume 45,Deel 1. Alfonso Archi. 108. 1998.
  19. Book: Pre-Sargonic Period: Early Periods, Volume 1 (2700-2350 BC). Douglas Frayne. 148. 2008. 9781442690479.
  20. Book: Language and Diplomacy. Jovan Kurbalija . Hannah Slavik . 52. 2001. 9789990955156.
  21. Book: The archives of Ebla: an empire inscribed in clay. registration. Doubleday. Giovanni Pettinato. 98. 1981. 9780385131520.
  22. Book: Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East. Amanda H. Podany. 52. 2010. 9780199798759.
  23. Book: The Origins of Globalization. Karl Moore . David Charles Lewis . 43. 2009. 9781135970086.
  24. Jewels for the Ladies of Ebla . Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie. 92. 174. 2002. 10.1515/zava.2002.92.2.161. Archi. Alfonso. 2. 161759399.
  25. Book: Mobile Pastoralism and the Formation of Near Eastern Civilizations: Weaving Together Society. Anne Porter. 230. 2012. 9780521764438.

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