Mitinti Explained

Mitinti (Philistine: ^[1] *Mītīt or *Matīt;^[2] Akkadian: Akkadian: [[File:Assyrian cuneiform U12079 MesZL 748 and MesZL 749.svg|7px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U1222A MesZL 681.svg|28px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U122FE MesZL 118.svg|26px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U12154 MesZL 261.svg|38px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U122FE MesZL 118.svg|26px]] and Akkadian: [[File:Assyrian cuneiform U12079 MesZL 748 and MesZL 749.svg|7px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U12228 MesZL 753.svg|16px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U1222A MesZL 681.svg|28px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U122FE MesZL 118.svg|26px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U12154 MesZL 261.svg|38px]][[File:Assyrian cuneiform U122FE MesZL 118.svg|26px]] ^{[3] [4] [5]}) was the name of several Philistine kings in the 8th and 7th century BC:

• Mitinti I, king of Ascalon and contemporary of Rezin of Aram-Damascus, Ahaz of Judah, Qaus-malaka of Edom, and Shanip of Ammon. The annals of Tiglath-Pileser III record that he was amongst the kings who rebelled against Neo-Assyrian suzerainty over the Levant, and that following the defeat of Rezin and the conquest of Aram-Damascus, the throne of Ascalon was usurped by a man named Rukibtu.
• Mitinti II, another king of Ashkelon, son of Sidqa, who apparently succeeded Rukibtu. He ruled Ashkelon during the reign of Ashurbanipal. A seal belonging to his servant, ‘Abd’eli’ab, was recovered in Ireland in the 19th century and is now housed in the British Museum.^[6] How Mitinti II came to rule Ashkelon is somewhat unclear – the annals of Sennacherib state that he had deposed Sidqa as king of Ashkelon and replaced him with Rukibtu's son Šarru-lu-dari after Sidqa instigated a failed revolt against Assyria, however, Šarru-lu-dari was apparently relegated to the governor of Pelusium during the reign of Esarhaddon - how Sidqa's son was then able to claim the throne is unexplained.
• Mitinti, king of Ashdod. He ruled during the reign of Sennacherib. His rule was apparently contemporaneous with that of Sidqa, as Sennacherib's annals report that he was among a retinue of kings that brought him an exuberant payment of tribute before Sidqa's rebellion.

Notes and References

1. NAVEH, JOSEPH. “Writing and Scripts in Seventh-Century B.C.E. Philistia: The New Evidence from Tell Jemmeh.” Israel Exploration Journal, vol. 35, no. 1, Israel Exploration Society, 1985, pp. 8–21, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27925967.
2. Bergman, A. “Two Hebrew Seals of the ’Ebed Class.” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 55, no. 3, Society of Biblical Literature, 1936, p. 224, https://doi.org/10.2307/3259805.
3. Web site: Mitinti [MITINTI I, KING OF ASHKELON] (RN) ]. . .
4. Web site: Mitinti [MITINTI II, KING OF ASHKELON] (RN) ]. . .
5. Web site: Mitinti [KING OF ASHDOD] (RN) ]. . .
6. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1861-1201-1 BM E48502, 1861,1201.1