Emar

Emar, Imar, Astata Assyrian, Roman Barbalissus, Arabic Bali today Meskene Qadime, is a Bronze Age city on the bow of the middle Euphrates in Syria, 85 km west of Raqqa. It is already known from Ebla texts from the 24th century BC. She lay at the crossroads of trade routes between Mesopotamia and Syria on the one hand, and Tadmor in Anatolia on the other. The city covers more than 1000 × 700 m area and is now surrounded by the waters of the Assad lake.

Excavations

The settlement was threatened by the construction of the dam Tabqa. A French team led by Jean Margueron led 1972-1976 excavations. Already in the first week excavation clay tablets were discovered with the name of the settlement. It was revealed a total of 700 cuneiform tablets and published by the epigraphists Daniel Arnaud. Other panels of illegitimate excavations reached in the art trade. They are mainly from the Late Bronze Age and are held with strong Aramaic or Arabic impact in a mittelbabylonischen dialect. Some Hittite and Hurrian texts were discovered. After the end of the excavations, the site of the city was heavily damaged by illegal excavations. Recently, scientific excavations and safety work were again performed ( see links).

Map

The Hittite city on the high banks had a regular rectangular street grid and the ground was terraced in part. Mursili II mentions the construction of the city in its Annals. Hence, they also had a Hittite garrison under the command of " superintendent of the country". There was also a Hittite civil administration, which was under a prince ( dumu.lugal ). The city was protected on three sides by a steep drop and was on the fourth page of a 30 m wide and 15 m deep trench was dug in the upcoming limestone. Except for two temples on the summit of the plateau also a palace (Palace A) was a bit Hilani excavated in style. Temple had M2 ceramic cylinder as ornaments of the facade, as they are also known from Nuzi and Elam. The houses in the town had a very uniform plan. They usually consisted of three rooms, a staircase proves the existence of an upper floor.

History

The city maintained trade relations with Ebla and Mari. She was probably right on the banks of the Euphrates. Between the mid-14th century BC and 1187 BC as the capital of Emar was Astata a protectorate and Hittite outpost against Assyria. The king of Emar was a vassal of the king of Carchemish, who was a relative of the great king and held the rank of viceroy. The city was twice besieged for a long time, either of Mitanni or of Assyria ( the texts have only troops from TAR.WA ) and the need was so great that some citizens sold into slavery. Under the king Pilsu - Dagan Emar was attacked by the king of Mitanni, but this was repulsed with the help of the weather-god. Arnaud considering that this is to Qibi - Ashur, an Assyrian General could have acted.

The city was around 1175 BC - probably from Aramaic groups - destroyed and resettled only in Roman times.

Ruler

There have been handed a total of four rulers of Emar. Ba ʿ al - Kabar, the first recorded ruler had several sons, of whom Ahi Reschep and Abbānu died, however, before they could ascend the throne. Pilsu - Dagan had a rebellious brother named Bisu - Dagan, the Durandt but holds for an alternate spelling of Pilsu - Dagan.

• Ba ʿ al - Kabar
• To - Astarti
• Pilsu - Dagan
• Elli, son of Pilsu - Dagan at the time of Meli- Schipak of Babylon

Economy

In the Late Bronze Age was mainly cultivated barley in the field of Emar, there were also Wingerte and vegetable gardens. There have been handed some lists of fields. However, trade is likely to have been the main industry. Merchants from Emar are detected in Ugarit, and Tadmor in the Assyrian empire.

Material Culture

The inhabitants used roll or stamp seals, which were partially bilingual, inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform and Hieroglyphenluwisch.

Religion

The chief priest of the city exercised the office of a sign interpreter ( lú HAL ) from He resided in the temple M1 of origin of numerous clay tablets. He was the god d- NIN.URTA ordained, what is interpreted as an Astar or Bel Mati. The second temple on the plateau was a Baal temple, probably resided in the High Priestess NIN.DINGIR as the wife of God. Also Dagon was an important god. He played mainly in zukru ritual involved, which took place every seven years. From the Pantheon of Emar some Hittite gods are known.