Marduk-shapik-zeri

Marduk-šāpik-zēri
King of Babylon
Reign	ca. 1082–1069 BC
Predecessor	Marduk-nadin-aḫḫē
Successor	Adad-apla-iddina
Royal House	2nd Dynasty of Isin

Marduk-šāpik-zēri,^{[nb 1]} ca. 1082–1069 BC, was the 7^th king of the 2^nd dynasty of Isin and 4^th dynasty of Babylon and he ruled for 13 years.^{[i 1]} His relationship with his predecessor, Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē is uncertain. His reign overlapped that of the Assyrian king Aššur-bēl-kala and his immediate predecessor(s) as the Synchronistic King List^{[i 2]} places him along side both Tukultī-apil-Ešarra and Aššur-bēl-kala.

Biography

He succeeded Marduk-nadin-aḫḫē, who may possibly have been his father or brother, during a time when the Arameans, driven by famine, were engaged in attacking the Assyrias under Tukultī-apil-Ešarra during his latter years, which Younger places in Tukultī-apil-Ešarra’s 32^nd year, or 1081/80 BC.^[1] The events are recorded on a fragmentary chronicle.^{[i 3]} In a letter from the Babylonian astrologer Bel-ušezib to Esarhaddon, 681 – 669 BC, he wrote, “Bel has said: May Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, be seated on his throne like Marduk-šāpik-zēri! I will deliver all the countries into his hands!”^[2] and this may suggest that he was a younger son of Nabû-kudurri-uṣur or there was perhaps a struggle over the succession.^[3]

He repaired the E-zida at Borsippa as witnessed by a building inscription, reproduced on a neo-Babylonian tablet,^{[i 4]} from the reign of Kandalanu whose colophon records that it was copied by Nabû-šumu-līšir. He provided gifts to the temples of Ur, Nippur and elsewhere.^[3] He rebuilt the wall of Babylon, the Imgur-Enlil, for which a fragmentary inscription^{[i 5]} has come to light,^{[nb 2][4]} confirmed by the Eclectic Chronicle^{[i 6]} which continues,

He conquered the kings of the lands. During his reign, the people of the land enjoyed prosperity. He made an entente cordiale with Aššur-bêl-kala, king of Assyria. At that time, the king went from Assyria to Sippar.

—Eclectic Chronicle, Lines 5 to 7.

The Synchronistic Chronicle^{[i 7]} confirms the alliance with Assyria, probably forged to counter the growing threat from the Arameans, and notes that he died during Aššur-bêl-kala’s reign.^[5] A kudurru^{[i 8]} records the recovery of certain landed property by Sin-Kabti-ilani the son of Shamash-shum-lishir the grandson of Kudurri.^[6] If the reference to Marduk-[…] can be identified with him in the Chronicle of the Market Prices,^{[i 9]} the cost of goods was unexceptional.^[3]

Inscriptions

1. ^ Babylonian King List C 7.
2. ^ Synchronistic King List, tablet KAV 216, excavation reference Ass 14616c, ii 18, 20.
3. ^ Assyrian chronicle fragment 4 8f.
4. ^ BM 26295.
5. ^ BE I 148, ii 3-8.
6. ^ The Eclectic Chronicle (ABC 24), tablet BM 27859 obverse lines 4 to 7.
7. ^ Synchronistic Chronicle (ABC 21) ii 25-30.
8. ^ BM 104404, XII.
9. ^ Chronicle of the Market Prices (ABC 23), broken tablet BM 48498, lines 14 and 15.

Notes

1. ^ ^mdmar-duk-šá-pi-ik-zēri.
2. ^ in qé r[e-eb] ká.dingir.[ra^ki ba-ba-[ti] ú-dan-n[in-ma] bàd im-gur-[^den-lil] bàd x-[…]

References

1. ^ K. Lawson Younger (2007). Ugarit at Seventy-Five. Eisenbrauns. p. 148. 
2. ^ Martti Nissinen (2003). Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East. Society of Biblical Literature. p. 106. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} D. J. Wiseman (1975). "XXXI: Assyria and Babylonia, 1200-1000 B.C.". In I. E. S. Edwards. Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 2, Part 2, History of the Middle East and the Aegean Region, c. 1380-1000 BC. Cambridge University Press. pp. 446, 487. 
4. ^ A. R. George (1992). Babylonian Topographical Texts. Peeters Publishers. p. 344. 
5. ^ J. A. Brinkman (1968). A political history of post-Kassite Babylonia, 1158-722 B.C.. Pontificium Institutum Biblicum. pp. 130—134. 
6. ^ L. W. King (1912). Babylonian boundary-stones and memorial tablets in the British Museum. London: British Museum. pp. 80—81.