Šamaš-rēša-uṣur, Governor of Sūḫu and Mari

Šamaš-rēša-uṣur ruled over Sūḫu for at least thirteen years, presumably in the first half of the eighth century BC. Like his predecessors (at least according to his own inscriptions), he used the title "governor of Sūḫu and Mari," but, since actual rule over Mari is not attested for his time, it is likely that the latter part of this title was used only honorifically (since Sūḫu had at some point in the past held authority of Mari). One of Šamaš-rēša-uṣur's main achievements seems to have been the liberation of the city Anat from Assyrian domination. However, this event is presently known to us only from an account given by his son, Ninurta-kudurrī-uṣur [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/Q006213.html]. Šamaš-rēša-uṣur's own inscriptions primarily deal with the building of a new town named Āl-gabbāri-bāni and agricultural activities.

Inscriptions

Šamaš-rēša-uṣur's inscriptions are all written in the Babylonian dialect of the Akkadian language. As far as they are preserved, the texts begin with an introductory section that gives the name of the king and his genealogy. The following inscriptions are attested:

A stone stele found at the Babylonian capital Babylon, and not in Sūḫu itself, is engraved with a relief of Šamaš-rēša-uṣur standing in front of the god Adad and the goddess Anat, as well as a lengthy inscription. The beginning of the text seems to have contained an account of military events that took place during his reign, but only the episode about an attack of a group of people from the Tuʾmanu tribe on the city Ribaniš and their subsequent defeat by Šamaš-rēša-uṣur (ii 17'b-26') is sufficiently preserved and intelligible. The military narration is followed by passages dealing with the construction of the city Āl-gabbāri-bāni and the setting-up of (statues of) the deities Adad, Apla-Adad, Šala, and Madānu there (iii 1-4); the restoration of a canal (ii 27'-37'a) and the construction of a new weir (iv 4b-6); and the planting of willow trees along that canal (iv 7-10) and date palms in courtyards of the palaces of the cities Ribaniš (ii 37b'-41'), Raʾil (iv 1), and Kār-Nabû (iv 1). The remainder of the inscription (iv 13 - v 6) is most unusual since Šamaš-rēša-uṣur boasts to have brought down honey-bees from the mountains of the people of Ḫabḫu and to have established them (together with the knowledge about apiculture) in the city Āl-gabbāri-bāni.

Access Šamaš-rēša-uṣur 1 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/Q006206/]

Source

Bibliography

• Koldewey 1899 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#koldewey1899], p. 3 (translation of epigraphs)
• Weissbach 1903 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#weissbach1903], pp. 9-15 (edition)
• Meissner 1910 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#meissner1910], pp. 24-25 ([iv 1-3, iv 13-v 6], partial edition)
• King 1915 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#king1915], pp. 266-267 ([iv 13-v 6], partial translation)
• Levey 1959 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#levey1959], pp. 94-95 ([iv 13-v 3], partial translation)
• Meyer 1962 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#meyer1962], pp. 105-106 (partial translation)
• Klengel-Brandt 1970 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#klengelbrandt1970], p. 77 ([iv 13-v 6], partial translation)
• Neufeld 1978 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#neufeld1978], pp. 238-239 (partial translation)
• Oates 1979 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#oates1979], p. 195 ([iv 13-v 3], partial translation)
• Dalley 1984 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#dalley1984], pp. 202-203 ([ii 27'-v 6], partial translation)
• Saggs 1984 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#saggs1984], p. 83 (partial translation)
• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], pp. 398-405 no. A (edition)
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], pp. 279-282 (edition)
• Na'aman 2003a [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#naaman2003a], p. 93 (ii 4, 11-15, partial edition)
• Younger 2015 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#younger2015], p. 624 (ii 17'b-26', partial translation)

• Weissbach 1903 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#weissbach1903], unnumbered page and pls. 2-5 (photo, copy)
• Meissner 1915 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#meissner1915], p. 75 fig. 132 (photo)
• King 1915 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#king1915], p. 266 fig. 64 (drawing of relief)
• Koldewey 1925 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#koldewey1925], p. 161 fig. 102 (photo)
• Meissner 1925 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#meissner1925], pl. [3] fig. 8 (photo)
• Gressmann 1927 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#gressmann1927], pl. CXXXI fig. 330 (photo)
• Jeremias 1929 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#jeremias1929], p. 369 fig. 199 (photo of relief)
• Meissner 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#meissner1930], p. 33 fig. 62 (photo)
• Contenau 1931 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#contenau1931], p. 1302 fig. 823 (photo of relief)
• Unger 1931 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#unger1931], pl. 40 fig. 63 (photo)
• Koldewey 1932 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#koldewey1932], pl. 20 (photo of relief)
• Pritchard 1969 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#pritchard1969], no. 533 (photo of relief)
• Klengel-Brandt 1970 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#klengelbrandt1970], p. 78 fig. 33 (photo)
• Neufeld 1978 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#neufeld1978], p. 239 fig. 10 (photo)
• Oates 1979 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#oates1979], p. 195 no. 133 (photo)
• Börker-Klähn 1982 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#boerkerklaehn1982], [plate without number] no. 231 (photo)
• Dalley 1984 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#dalley1984], p. 201 fig. 69 (drawing of relief)
• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], p. 401 fig. 3 (drawing of relief)

• Koldewey 1899 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#koldewey1899], pp. 2-3 (provenance, study)
• Koldewey 1900 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#koldewey1900], p. 5 n. * (study by Delitzsch)
• Meissner 1910 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#meissner1910], pp. 23-25 (study)
• Meissner 1915 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#meissner1915], pp. 75-76 (study)
• Koldewey 1925 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#koldewey1925], p. 159-162 (study)
• Unger 1926 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#unger1926], pp. 416-417 and pl. 194 a (study)
• Gressmann 1927 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#gressmann1927], p. 94 (study)
• Contenau 1931 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#contenau1931], pp. 1302-1303 (study)
• Unger 1931 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#unger1931], p. 225 no. 9 (study)
• Koldewey 1932 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#koldewey1932], p. 20 no. 11 (study)
• Meyer 1962 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#meyer1962], pp. 105-106 (study)
• Brinkman 1968 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#brinkman1968], p. 219 (study)
• Herzfeld 1968 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#herzfeld1968], pp. 47-48 (study)
• von Soden 1977 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#vonsoden1977], p. 192 (iii 6, study)
• Neufeld 1978 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#neufeld1978], pp. 238-239 (study)
• Börker-Klähn 1982 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#boerkerklaehn1982], pp. 218-19 no. 231 (study [erroneously given the excavation number 3108]
• Dalley 1984 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#dalley1984], pp. 201-203 (study)
• Na'aman 2003a [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#naaman2003a], p. 93 (ii 4, ii 10-17, study)
• Younger 2015 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#younger2015], p. 614 (iii 1-4, study)

The construction of the city Āl-gabbāri-bāni is also mentioned in an inscription written on a damaged clay tablet found at Sur Jurʿeh. The description in this text differs slightly from that of the corresponding episode in Šamaš-rēša-uṣur 1: The names of the gods that are introduced to that city are given here as Madānu and Rammānu (obv. 8), rather than as Adad, Apla-Adad, Šala and Madānu. Other building projects also seem to be mentioned, but the relevant passage (obv. 11-26) is too poorly preserved to be able to understand its contents.

Access Šamaš-rēša-uṣur 2 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/Q006207/]

Source

Bibliography

• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], pp. 364-366 (edition)
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], pp. 283-284 (edition)
• Na'aman 2003b [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#naaman2003a], p. 101 (obv. 1-10, partial edition)

• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], pp. 423-424 no. 5 (copy)

An inscription very similar to Šamaš-rēša-uṣur 2 is written on another fragmentarily preserved clay tablet found at Sur Jurʿeh. In addition to the introduction of the gods Madānu and Rammānu to the city Āl-gabbāri-bāni (obv. 8-9), this text also mentions the construction of a town named Dūr-Šamaš-rēša-uṣur (obv. 11-13), as well as some building activity in the town^? Imgur-Enlil.

Access Šamaš-rēša-uṣur 3 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/Q006208/]

Source

Bibliography

• Killick and Roaf 1983 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#killick-roaf1983]p. 221 (provenance)
• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], pp. 378-380 (edition)
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], pp. 284-285 (edition)
• Na'aman 2003b [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#naaman2003a], p. 101 (obv. 1-9, partial edition)

• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], p. 434 no. 16 (copy by J. Black)

A fragment of diorite found at ʿAna preserves part of an inscription that deals with the introduction of honey-bees (side A), an achievement also mentioned in Šamaš-rēša-uṣur 1. On side B, the text might describe further agricultural activities, but it is hard to be certain due to the text's poor state of preservation.

Access Šamaš-rēša-uṣur 4 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/Q006209/]

Source

Bibliography

• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], p. 390 (edition).
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], p. 286 (edition)

• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], p. 442 no. 20 (copy by F. Al-Rawi).

Šamaš-rēša-uṣur also seems to be mentioned on a fragment of a clay tablet discovered at Sur Jurʿeh. Apart from the (only partially preserved) king's name (rev. 6') and the name of the god Madānu (rev. 2'), hardly anything is legible and, therefore, the inscription's attribution to him is uncertain. This text could have also been written by the scribes of his son Ninurta-kudurrī-uṣur.

Access Šamaš-rēša-uṣur 1001 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/Q006210/]

Source

Bibliography

• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], p. 377 (edition)
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], p. 287 (edition)

• Cavigneaux/Ismail 1990 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/bibliography/index.html#cavigneaux-ismail1990], p. 433 no. 13 (copy)

Alexa Bartelmus

Alexa Bartelmus, 'Šamaš-rēša-uṣur, Governor of Sūḫu and Mari', Suhu: The Inscriptions of Suhu online Project, The Suhu Inscriptions Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2017 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/suhu/rulers/shamashreshausur/]