A whole series of 'peace and friendship' treaties between Assyria and Babylonia is recorded in the Synchronistic History, a chronicle totally devoted to the theme of Assyro-Babylonian interrelations. The following examples are just a few out of many:
"Karaindaš, king of Karduniaš, and Aššur-bel-nišešu, king of Assyria (1419- 1411), made an agreement (riksāni urakkisū) with each other and gave sworn assurances (māmītu) to each other concerning this very boundary."
"Adad-nerari II (911-891) and Nabû-šuma-iškun ... gave their daughters to each other in marriage and established perfect friendship and peace (ṭūbta u sulummâ gamra) with each other. The peoples of Assyria and Babylonia were joined together. They established a boundary from Til-Bit-Bari to Til-ša-Batani."
"At the time of Shalmaneser III, king of Assyria (858-824), Nabû-apla-iddina was the king of Karduniaš. They established perfect friendship and peace with each other. At the time of Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, Marduk-zakir-šumi I ascended his father's throne. Marduk-bel-usate, his brother, rebelled against him... Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, went to the aid of Marduk-zakir-šumi, king of Karduniaš..." (Grayson Chronicles pp. 158 and 166ff.)
That these passages refer to written treaties and not just "verbal agreements between monarchs", as recently alleged,[[5]] can be taken as certain. Compare the discussion of Text 1 below, p. XXVII. It seems clear that these treaties not only served as peace and border settlements but also as means of guaranteeing the stability and continuity of the ruling dynasties in both Assyria and Babylonia. As such, they also offered a convenient excuse to interfere in affairs of the other country at times of political turmoil.
5 A.K. Grayson, JCS 39 (1987) 129.
Simo Parpola
Simo Parpola, 'Peace and Friendship Treaties', Neo-Assyrian Treaties and Loyalty Oaths, SAA 2. Original publication: Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, 1988; online contents: SAAo/SAA02 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa02/treatiesasinstrumentsofimperialism/peaceandfriendshiptreaties/]