Isin

Isin (, modern Arabic: Ishan al-Bahriyat) is an archaeological site in Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, Iraq which was the location of the Ancient Near East city of Isin, occupied from the late 4th millennium BC Uruk period up until at least the late 1st millennium BC Neo-Babylonian period. It lies about southeast of the modern city of Al Diwaniyah.

The tutelary deity of Isin, dating back to at least the Early Dynastic period, was the healing goddess Gula with a major temple (, E-gal-ma) sited there as well as smaller installations for the related gods of Ninisina and Sud.

Archaeology

thumb|Looters at the site of Isin

Isin is located approximately south of the ancient city of Nippur. The site covers an area of about 150 hectares with a maximum height of about 10 meters.

By 1922 the site had been suggested as that of Isin. Ishan al-Bahriyat was visited by Stephen Herbert Langdon for a day to conduct a sounding, while he was excavating at Kish in 1924. He found inscribed bricks of Ishme-Dagan and Enlil-bani. Two years later Raymond P. Dougherty, on behalf of the American Schools of Oriental Research, conducted a two-day survey of the site finding inscribed bricks of Bur-Sin and Neo-Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II.

Modern archaeological work at Isin was accomplished in 11 seasons between 1973 and 1989 by a team of German archaeologists led by Barthel Hrouda on behalf of the Munich Institute for Near Eastern Archaeology. Hundreds of cuneiform tablets from the Old Babylonian period, in buildings abandoned after being destroyed by fire, were recovered. However, as was the case at many sites in Iraq, research was interrupted by the Gulf War (1990–1991) and the Iraq War (2003 to 2011). Since the end of excavations, extensive looting is reported to have resumed at the site. Even when the German team began their work, the site had already been heavily looted. A significant find, in the Ninurta shrine of the Gula temple, was an alabaster mace head of the Akkadian Empire ruler Manishtushu inscribed "Man-istusu, king of the world, dedicated (this mace) to the goddess Ninisina". An inscription of Takil-ilissu, ruler of Malgium was also found. Early find included a Jemdet Nasr stamp seal and a small stone lion figurine of the Uruk period.

The primary focus of the excavations was the four meter wide wall enclosed Gula temple complex. The complex showed construction through at least the Isin I, Kassite, and Neo-Babylonian periods with 3rd millennium BC finds suggested its earlier existence. Finds included 30 dog burials, copper pendants inscribed with dog images, and clay dog figurines, one with a prayer to Gula. An inscribed brick of Adad-apla-iddina, 8th ruler of the 2nd dynasty of Isin, dedicated to the healing goddess Nin-ezena was also found. On another section of the main mound 3rd millennium BC buildings provided "gold jewellery, bronze weapons, cylinder seals, and a few cuneiform tablets of which two date back to the Early Dynastic period", a clay nail of Isme-Dagan referring to construction of the bad-gal "Great Wall" city wall of Isin and an inscribed brick of Ur-du-kuga. In the Kassite layer an Early Dynastic III statue, 16.5 cm in height, of a kneeling man wearing only a triple belt. Just to the south of the temple complex two Early Dynastic I period buildings were found.

History

Isin sat on the Isinnitum canal, a vital branch of the Euphrates. Controlling Isin meant controlling the water flow and trade moving toward the south.

Chalcolithic

The site of Isin was occupied at least as early as the Ubaid period based on pottery shards.

Early Bronze Age

Early Dynastic period

In the Early Dynastic III (c. 2750-2350 BCE), significant occupation began.

Akkadian period

In the Akkadian period (c. 2350-2150 BCE), Isin is known to have been occupied by the Akkadian Empire.

Ur III period

An intensive building program began at Isin during the Ur III empire in the late 3rd millennium BC. With the fall of Ur, an Amorite dynasty took power in the city, during the Isin-Larsa period. The city then fell to Babylon and suffered a period of abandonment. Activity resumed under the Kassites, followed by a period of local control. Isin was occupied to various degrees until the Neo-Babylonian period.

With the final decline of the Ur III empire at the end of the third millennium BC, a power vacuum was left that other city-states scrambled to fill. Ishbi-Erra, said to be an Amorite, from Mari, and an Ur III official under its final ruler Ibbi-Sin, gained rulership of Isin and began the First Dynasty of Isin. The Elamites had attacked Isin and Ur, capturing Ur. One of Ishbi-Erra's acts was to expel the Elamites from Ur and the region, his year name being "Year (Iszbi-Irra the king) brought out of Ur, with his strong weapon, the Elamite who was dwelling in its midst". Although the Sumerian King List gives a 33-year reign for Ishbi-Erra only one royal inscription has been found.

Middle Bronze Age

Following an abrupt climate change around 2036-2023 BCE, probably caused by a major volcanic eruption, drought his the region and caused severe economic hardship which caused the Ur III to decline and ultimately end in 2004 BCE. The province of Isin broke out and formed an independent kingdom under Ishbi-Erra, along with its rival Larsa, saw the decentralization of irrigation networks and agricultural fields.

Isin-Larsa period

thumb|A praise poem to Iddin-Dagān from the site, currently at [[Musée du Louvre]]

thumb|Left: Cuneiform clay tablet. Old Babylonian, 1900-1700 BC Right: Sumerian cuneiform "foundation stone". This clay cone was embedded in a wall, and contains the deed of foundation of the city walls of Isin (Tell Bahriyat) by king [[Ishme-Dagan of Isin (1953-1935 BC)]]

The First Dynasty of Isin was founded by Ishbi-Erra (r. 2018-1985 BCE) and lasted over two centuries. Ishbi-Erra continued the traditions of the previous Ur III period, and Isin reached its peak and became a powerful city-state in the Middle Bronze I. A notable ruler was Ishme-Dagan (r. 1954-1935 BCE) for whom a number of hymns were written, in a style thought to be imitative of Shulgi, the ruler of Ur III.

With the rise of Larsa and a number of smaller Amorite city-states, the influence of Isin slowly declined. The rivalry between Isin and Larsa has led this phase of the Middle Bronze I to be the term the Isin-Larsa period.

The exact events surrounding Isin's disintegration as a kingdom are mostly unknown, but some evidence can be pieced together. Documents indicate that access to water sources presented a huge problem for Isin. Isin also endured an internal coup of a sort when Gungunum the royally appointed governor of Larsa and Lagash province, seized the city of Ur. Ur had been the main center of the Gulf trade; thus this move economically devastated Isin. Additionally, Gungunum's two successors Abisare and Sumuel ( and 1894 BC) both sought to cut Isin off from its canals by rerouting them into Larsa. At some point, Nippur was also lost. Isin would never recover. Around 1860 BC, an outsider named Enlil-bani seized the throne of Isin, ending the hereditary dynasty established by Ishbi-Erra over 150 years earlier.

Of the at least 256 ruler year names about 75% have been found. Most have the standard format, aside from Bur-Sin who numbered his years. These year names combined with new tablet joins show that there were two additional rulers, Sumu-abum and Ikūn-pī-Išta, slotting in between Erra-imittī and Enlil-bān. The reign of Sumu-abum lasted less than a year.

Culture and literature

thumb|Cylinder seal of [[Bur-Suen.]]

The city lay on the Isinnitum Canal, part of a set of waterways that connected the cities of Mesopotamia. The patron deity of Isin was Nintinuga (Gula) goddess of healing, and a temple to her was built there. The Isin king Enlil-bani reported building a temple to Gula named E-ni-dub-bi, a temple for Sud named E-dim-gal-an-na, a temple E-ur-gi-ra to Ninisina, as well as a temple for the god Ninbgal.

Ishbi-Erra continued many of the cultic practices that had flourished in the preceding Ur III period. He continued acting out the sacred marriage ritual each year. During this ritual, the king played the part of the mortal Dumuzi, and he had sex with a priestess who represented the goddess of love and war, Inanna (also known as Ishtar). This was thought to strengthen the king's relationship to the gods, which would then bring stability and prosperity on the entire country.

The Isin kings continued also the practice of appointing their daughters official priestesses of the moon god of Ur.

The literature of the period also continued in the line of the Ur III traditions when the Isin dynasty was first begun. For example, the royal hymn, a genre started in the preceding millennium, was continued. Many royal hymns written for the Isin rulers mirrored the themes, structure, and language of the Ur ones. Sometimes the hymns were written in the first person of a king's voice; other times, they were pleas of ordinary citizens meant for the ears of a king (sometimes an already dead one).

It was during this period that the Sumerian King List attained its final form, though it used many much earlier sources. The very compilation of the List seems to lead up to the Isin Dynasty itself, which would give it much legitimacy in the minds of the people because the dynasty would then be linked to earlier (albeit sometimes legendary) kings.

List of rulers

The Sumerian King List (SKL) gives a list of the rulers of only one dynasty of Isin. The first Sealand, Kassite, and second Isin dynasties are known from the Babylonian King List (BKL). The following list should not be considered complete:

{|class="wikitable"border="1"style="width:100%;text-align:center"

!width="1%"|#

!width="24.75%"|Portrait or inscription

!width="24.75%"|Ruler

!width="24.75%"| date and length of reign

!width="24.75%"|Comments, notes, and references for mentions

|colspan="5"align="center"style="background-color:palegoldenrod"|Ur III period ()

!colspan="5"|First dynasty of Isin / Isin I dynasty ()

|1st

|120px

|Ishbi-Erra 𒀭𒅖𒁉𒀴𒊏

| (MC)

(SC) (32 or 33 years)

temp. of Ibbi-Suen
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
An Amorite from Mari

!width="1%"|#

!width="24.75%"|Portrait or inscription

!width="24.75%"|Ruler

!width="24.75%"| date and length of reign

!width="24.75%"|Comments, notes, and references for mentions

|colspan="5"align="center"style="background-color:palegoldenrod"|Isin-Larsa period ()

|colspan="5"align="left"|

|2nd

|120px

|Shu-Ilishu 𒋗𒉌𒉌𒋗

| (MC)

(SC) (10, 15, or 20 years)

Son of Ishbi-Erra
temp. of Emisum
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|3rd

|120px

|Iddin-Dagan 𒀭𒄿𒁷𒀭𒁕𒃶

| (MC)

(SC) (18, 21, or 25 years)

Son of Shu-Ilishu
temp. of Samium
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|4th

|120px

|Ishme-Dagan 𒀭𒅖𒈨𒀭𒁕𒃶

| (MC)

(SC) (11, 18, 19, or 20 years)

Son of Iddin-Dagan
temp. of Zabaia
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|5th

|120px

|Lipit-Ishtar 𒇷𒁉𒀉𒁹𒁯

| (MC)

(SC) (11 years)

temp. of Gungunum
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|6th

|120px

|Ur-Ninurta 𒀭𒌨𒀭𒊩𒌆𒅁

| (MC)

(SC) (28 years)

temp. of Abisare
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|7th

|120px

|Bur-Suen 𒀭𒁓𒀭𒂗𒍪

| (MC)

(SC) (21 or 22 years)

Son of Ur-Ninurta
temp. of Sumuel
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|8th

|Lipit-Enlil 𒀭𒇷𒁉𒀉𒀭𒂗𒆤

| (MC)

(SC) (5 years)

Son of Bur-Suen
temp. of Puzur-Ashur II
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|9th

|Erra-imitti 𒀭𒀴𒊏𒄿𒈪𒋾

| (MC)

(SC) (7 or 8 years)

temp. of Nur-Adad
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|10th

|Ikūn-pî-Ištar

| (MC)

(SC) (6 months or 1 year)

temp. of Sîn-kāšid

|11th

|Enlil-bani 𒀭𒂗𒆤𒁀𒉌

| (MC)

(SC) (24 years)

temp. of Naram-Sin
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|12th

|Zambiya 𒀭𒍝𒄠𒁉𒅀

| (MC)

(SC) (3 years)

temp. of Sin-Iqisham
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|13th

|Iter-pisha 𒀭𒄿𒋼𒅕𒅗𒊭

| (MC)

(SC) (3 or 4 years)

temp. of Sin-eribam
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|14th

|Ur-du-kuga 𒀭𒌨𒇯𒆬𒂵

| (MC)

(SC) (4 years)

temp. of Warad-Sin
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|15th

|Suen-magir 𒀭𒂗𒍪𒈠𒄫

| (MC)

(SC) (11 years)

temp. of Apil-Sin
Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Akkad; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|16th

|120px

|Damiq-ilishu 𒁕𒈪𒅅𒉌𒉌𒋗

| (MC)

(SC) (23 years)

Son of Suen-magir
temp. of Shamshi-Adad I
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|colspan="5"align="left"|

!width="1%"|#

!width="24.75%"|Portrait or inscription

!width="24.75%"|Ruler

!width="24.75%"| date and length of reign

!width="24.75%"|Comments, notes, and references for mentions

!colspan="5"|Dynasty of Larsa ()

|120px

|Rim-Sîn I 𒀭𒊑𒅎𒀭𒂗𒍪

| (MC)

Son of Kudur-Mabuk
temp. of Irdanene
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

!width="1%"|#

!width="24.75%"|Portrait or inscription

!width="24.75%"|Ruler

!width="24.75%"| date and length of reign

!width="24.75%"|Comments, notes, and references for mentions

|colspan="5"align="center"style="background-color:palegoldenrod"|Old Babylonian period ()

!colspan="5"|First dynasty of Babylon ()

|120px

|Hammurabi 𒄩𒄠𒈬𒊏𒁉

| (MC)

Held the title of, "King of the Four Corners"

|120px

|Samsu-iluna 𒊓𒄠𒋢𒄿𒇻𒈾

| (MC)

Son of Hammurabi
temp. of Siwe-Palar-Khuppak

!width="1%"|#

!width="24.75%"|Portrait or inscription

!width="24.75%"|Ruler

!width="24.75%"| date and length of reign

!width="24.75%"|Comments, notes, and references for mentions

!colspan="5"|First Sealand dynasty / Sealand I ()

|Iliman

| (MC)

(SC) (60 years)

Relative of Damiq-ilishu (?)
temp. of Gandash

|Ittili

| (MC) (56 years)

temp. of Abi-Eshuh

|Unknown

| (MC)

temp. of Agum I

|Damqi-ilishu II 𒁕𒈪𒅅𒉌𒉌𒋗

| (MC) (26 years)

temp. of Ammi-Ditana

|Ishkibal

| (MC) (15 years)

temp. of Sharma-Adad I

|Shushushi

| (MC) (24 years)

Brother of Ishkibal.
temp. of Ammi-Saduqa

|Gulkishar

|Uncertain (MC) (55 years)

temp. of Samsu-Ditana

|Gishen

|Uncertain (MC)

temp. of Sharma-Adad II

|Peshgaldaramesh

| (MC) (50 years)

Brother of Gulkishar
temp. of Shamshi-Adad III

|Ayadaragalama 𒀀𒀀𒁰𒃴𒈠

| (MC) (28 years)

Brother of Peshgaldaramesh
temp. of Ashur-nirari I
Held the title of, "King of the Universe"

|Ekurul

| (MC) (26 years)

temp. of Puzur-Ashur III

|Melamma

| (MC) (7 years)

temp. of Enlil-nasir I

|Eaga

| (MC)

(SC) (9 years)

temp. of Ulamburiash

!width="1%"|#

!width="24.75%"|Portrait or inscription

!width="24.75%"|Ruler

!width="24.75%"| date and length of reign

!width="24.75%"|Comments, notes, and references for mentions

|colspan="5"align="center"style="background-color:palegoldenrod"|Middle Babylonian period ()

!colspan="5"|Kassite dynasty ()

|Agum III

| (MC)

Son of Kashtiliash III

|Kadashman-Sah

| (MC)

|120px

|Karaindash

| (MC)

Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|Kadashman-Harbe I

| (MC)

Son of Karaindash

|120px

|Kurigalzu I

| (MC)

Son of Kadashman-harbe I

|120px

|Kadashman-Enlil I 𒅗𒁕𒀸𒈠𒀭𒀭𒂗𒆤

| (MC) (14 years)

Son of Kurigalzu I (?)

|120px

|Burna-Buriash II 𒁓𒈾𒁍𒊑𒅀𒀸

| (MC) (27 years)

Son of Kadashman-Enlil I
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|Kara-hardash

| (MC)

Son of Burna-Buriash II (?)

|Nazi-Bugash

| (MC)

|120px

|Kurigalzu II

| (MC) (25 years)

Son of Burna-Buriash II
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|120px

|Nazi-Maruttash

| (MC) (26 years)

Son of Kurigalzu II
Held the title of, "King of Sumer and Akkad"

|120px

|Kadashman-Turgu

| (MC) (18 years)

Son of Nazi-Maruttash

|120px

|Kadashman-Enlil II

| (MC) (9 years)

Son of Kadashman-Turgu

|Kudur-Enlil

| (MC) (9 years)

Son of Kadashman-Enlil II

|120px

|Shagarakti-Shuriash

| (MC) (13 years)

Son of Kudur-Enlil

|120px

|Kashtiliash IV

| (MC) (8 years)

Son of Shagarakti-Shuriash

|Enlil-nadin-shumi

| (MC) (1 year and 6 months)

|Kadashman-Harbe II

| (MC) (1 year and 6 months)

|120px

|Adad-shuma-iddina

| (MC) (6 years)

|120px

|Adad-shuma-usur

| (MC) (30 years)

Son of Kashtiliash IV (?)

|120px

|Meli-Shipak II

| (MC) (15 years)

Son of Adad-shuma-usur

|120px

|Marduk-apla-iddina I

| (MC) (13 years)

Son of Meli-Shipak II

|120px

|Zababa-shuma-iddin

| (MC) (1 year)

|120px

|Enlil-nadin-ahi

| (MC) (3 years)

!width="1%"|#

!width="24.75%"|Portrait or inscription

!width="24.75%"|Ruler

!width="24.75%"| date and length of reign

!width="24.75%"|Comments, notes, and references for mentions

!colspan="5"|Second dynasty of Isin / Isin II dynasty ()

|Marduk-kabit-ahheshu

| (18 years)

temp. of Ashur-dan I

|120px

|Itti-Marduk-balatu

| (MC) (6 years)

Son of Marduk-kabit-ahheshu
temp. of Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur

|Ninurta-nadin-shumi

| (MC) (7 years)

Relative of Itti-Marduk-balatu (?)
temp. of Ashur-resh-ishi I

|120px

|Nebuchadnezzar I

| (MC) (22 years)

Son of Ninurta-nadin-shumi
temp. of Tiglath-Pileser I

|120px

|Enlil-nadin-apli

| (MC) (4 years)

Son of Nebuchadnezzar I

|120px

|Marduk-nadin-ahhe

| (MC) (18 years)

Son of Ninurta-nadin-shumi

|120px

|Marduk-shapik-zeri

| (MC) (13 years)

Son of Marduk-nadin-ahhe
temp. of Asharid-apal-Ekur

|Adad-apla-iddina

| (MC) (24 years)

temp. of Ashur-bel-kala

|120px

|Marduk-ahhe-eriba

| (MC) (6 months)

temp. of Ashurnasirpal I

|Marduk-zer-X

| (MC) (12 years)

|120px

|Nabu-shum-libur

| (MC) (7 years)

temp. of Shalmaneser II

References

External links

Archaeological Site Photographs of Isin at Oriental Institute
Iraqi Looters Tearing Up Archaeological Sites Edmund L. Andrews. The New York Times, May 23, 2003.

Archaeology

History

Chalcolithic

Early Bronze Age

Early Dynastic period

Akkadian period

Ur III period

Middle Bronze Age

Isin-Larsa period

Culture and literature

List of rulers

See also

References

Further reading

External links