Zimri-Lim

Zimri- Lim was 1773-1759 BC (mean chronology ), 1709-1695 BC ( short chronology ), 1677-1663 BC ( short chronology ultra ), last king of Mari, whose dominion in his time were also Terqa and large parts of the Syrian steppe. His principal wife was Šibtu; known are also the two married to Haya - Sumu daughters Šimatum and Kirûm.

Life

Zimri- Lim was amurritischer origin. He probably came from the dynasty of kings Jaggid -Lim and Jaḫdun -Lim, who ruled in Mari in the 19th and early 18th century. The reign of this dynasty was interrupted by the conquest Maris by Samsi -Adad I.. Zimri- Lim referred to himself as the son Jaḫdun -Lim. However, there are doubts as to the veracity of self-expression, as a seal was found that a certain - otherwise unknown - Hatni [ Adad ] cites as his father. After the death of Samsi -Adad Zimri- Lim gained power over Mari, which had until then Samsi - Adad's younger son Jasmaḫ - Addu managed as viceroy of the ancient Assyrian Empire with the help of the state Jamḫad.

Prior to his assumption of power in Mari he had ( at least temporarily ) stopped at the court of Jamḫad in Aleppo and fought together with Jarim -Lim I of Jamḫad against the coalition of Assyria and Qatna. Later he maintained close relations with this country. He donated the Hadad of Aleppo, the central cult object Jamḫads, his statue was to worship the deity in gratitude for their assistance in obtaining the throne of Mari.

Nevertheless, he married both Jarim -Lim daughter Šibtum and Dam huraši, a princess from Qatna. He was also probably also married to the coming of Hazor Atar - Aya, with whom he undertook a journey to the Levant region. Even his family connections would have to comprise a large part of the world known to him. In addition, he maintained long-span diplomatic relations with many other states of Mesopotamia and Syria. His mediation in the peace negotiations between Jamḫad and Qatna is certainly a proof of his diplomatic influence.

In the early years of his reign he occupied Kohath. As a result, he also participated in military operations of his allies Hammurabi of Babylon. Both rulers borrowed from each other troops. Hammurabi benefited from this exchange, however, stronger than Zimri- Lim. In addition, Zimri- Lim Hammurabi mediated troops of the common allies Jamḫad.

For his military enterprises he recruited among other soldiers from different nomadic tribal groups who lived in his sphere of influence - especially from the Jamniten. However, the nomads were not always readily exploit tractable. Was partially Zimri- Lim deterred by paying tribute not of robberies on the fortified places of his own state themselves. In 1771/1707/1675 BC, it also came to a conflict with the rebellious Jamniten under their leader Jagih - Addu of Mislan.

Hammurabi began in his 33rd year of reign Mari attack and finally took it in his 34th year. The fate that Zimri- Lim suffered in this case is unknown. The city of Mari was this completely destroyed, but fired the clay tablets of the archive due to the pillaging of the palace grounds. Thus many written sources are preserved in very good condition us. Zimri- Lim, most records are from whose reign in this archive, therefore, is one of the best known ruler of his time.

Importance

Zimri- Lim entertained kinship, diplomatic and trade relations, which extended over large parts of the Middle East. Testimony give us the so-called Mari letters, among which also the correspondences Jasmaḫ - Addus be subsumed. They include, together with the administrative documents of the palace over 20,000 clay tablets and inform us except Mari also on the economic, political, cultural and religious conditions in the states of Elam over Larsa, Babylon, Eshnunna, Assyria, Carchemish, Jamḫad, Qatna until after Alalaḫ, Ugarit and Hazor. This makes them the richest we have accessible contemporary source convolute for this room presents a special importance have it addressed to Zimri- Lim prophet sayings, some major structural and content similarities with certain prophecies of the Old Testament, especially the Samuel and Kings - books have. These parallels have applied the notion that the Old Testament prophecy stand in a amurritischen ( West Semitic ) tradition, distinguishing itself by spontaneous, " inspired" receiving divine messages, and clearly distinct from the predominant in older sources Mesopotamian tradition in which the semantic expertise dominates.

The age of Zimri- Lim of Mari palace complexes, construction of which was probably started by one of his predecessors, sought in terms of size and grandeur in their time second to none. They covered an area of ​​more than 2.5 hectares and were even then visited a tourist attraction. Some of her paintings are now on display in the Louvre in Paris.

The Palace of Zimri- Lim lives under is particularly well documented. Thus we learn that the ruler had a ice house in which were stored ice from the mountains to take in the summer cool drinks to be able to. There are known dishes that were eaten at the farm or we read that a lion was spotted on the roof of a house, which was then caught and placed in a wooden cage to Zimri- Lim.

Swell

• André Parrot and others ( ed.): Archives Royales de Mari. Paris 1941-1998, so far 28 volumes.