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Karduniaš. Babylonia Under the Kassites

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Karduniaš. Babylonia Under the Kassites 557 BIBLIOTHECA ORIENTALIS LXXV N° 5-6, september-december 2018 558 §2 The Early Kassite Period (pp. 45-92) by Frans van Koppen The generally neglected Early Kassite period is discussed at length by van Koppen. This chapter provides an in-depth study discussing first the Kassites in the Old Babylonian period and their military background, i.e., military specializa- tion, command structure, settlements and social organization, followed by a careful description of Kassite-Babylonian interactions in the Late Old Babylonian period, i.e., the Samḫarû and Bimatû under Ammī-ṣaduqa and the Kassite kingdoms in the Diyala under Samsu-ditāna, and finally the role of the Kassites in the Fall of Babylon and their position thereafter. §3 Political Interactions between Kassite Babylonia and Assyria, Egypt and Ḫatti during the Amarna Age (pp. 93-111) by Jared L. Miller Miller focuses on political history in the Late Bronze Age, providing a concise introduction to the political interactions between Kassite Babylonia and its neighbours in the Amarna Age. An interesting contribution is Miller’s update of the chronological synchronisms between Babylon, Assyria, Egypt and Ḫatti, resulting in a helpful chart (pp. 105-106). Finally, an enticing scenario is presented, based on a passage in a prayer of Muršili II (KUB 14.4 ii 3’-8’) regarding the Hittite tawannanna, the Babylonian wife of Šuppiluliuma I: here, Miller advocates a different reading than hitherto accepted, suggesting that she was siphoning off wealth from Hattuša to Babylon and discusses its possible political implications. §4 Of Kings, Princesses, and Messengers: Babylonia’s ASSYRIOLOGIE International Relations during the 13th century BC (pp. 112- 122) by Elena Devecchi BARTELMUS, A.S. and K. STERNITZKE (eds.). — This paper summarizes the relations maintained by the Karduniaš. Babylonia under the Kassites. The Proceed- Kassites with Assyria, Ḫatti and Egypt and discusses there- ings of the Symposium held in Munich 30 June to 2 July after the problems related to two specific historical details, 2011 / Tagungsbericht des Münchner Symposiums vom i.e., the chronological setting of the interdynastic marriages 30. Juni bis 2. Juli 2011. Volume 1–2. (Untersuchungen between Babylon and Ḫatti (pp. 117-120) and the struggle zur Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie, 11). for the Babylonian throne that followed the end of the Assyr- De Gruyter, Boston/Berlin, 2017. (28 cm, XII, 574). ian interregnum (pp. 120-122). ISBN 978-1-5015-1163-9 / 978-1-5015-1216-2. ISSN §5 Die Kassiten, das mittelbabylonische Reich und der 0502-7012. € 149,95. Zagros (pp. 123-165) by Andreas Fuchs This long-awaited monograph, in two volumes, is the The traditional view by Assyriologists that the Kassites result of a conference held in Munich in 2011 and provides and Second Isin Dynasty only had a minor role in the Zagros the first overview of recent studies on the Kassite period in mountains is disputed in this paper. In retrospect, Fuchs Babylonia. In total there are 18 contributions discussing meticulously outlines the interests of Neo-Assyrian kings a wide variety of topics, i.e., history, politics, socioeconomics, (9th-7th centuries BCE) in the West-Iranian plateau. On sev- religion, divination, architecture and archaeology. In the fol- eral expeditions they encountered Kassites, although no lowing all contributions are discussed separately. longer a political entity, and Babylonians, who had lost their §1 Babylonia under the Kassites: Some Aspects for Con- military and political power by comparison with their Assyr- sideration (pp. 1-44) by J.A. Brinkman ian counterparts. After evaluating the evidence, Fuchs con- The leading expert in the field of Kassite studies starts off cludes that the presence of Kassites and Babylonians in the with a general history of Babylonia under the Kassites, Zagros during the first millennium BCE echoes a clear ear- divided into the Early, Middle and Final Kassite periods lier influence and interest in the region during the Middle respectively. A crossover on the Early Kassite period Babylonian period. Fuchs continues his argument by ques- (pp. 3-10) with the extended contribution by van Koppen tioning the possible earlier presence of Babylonian kings (§2) is unfortunate, but inevitable. Although not taken up for before the Middle Babylonian period (Appendix 1, pp. 158- discussion by Brinkman, but rightfully remarked upon, is the 162), but reaches a negative conclusion. importance to Kassite history of two minor dynasties which §6 Kassite and Elamite Kings (pp. 166-195) by Michael followed the Kassite era, i.e., the Second Dynasty of the Sealand Roaf (1025-1005 BCE) and the Bāzi Dynasty (1004-985 BCE). In this paper, Roaf investigates the relationship and inter- Brinkman raises the tentative question whether they had at actions between Kassite and Elamite kings by examining least a nominal affiliation with the Kassites. nine principal sources. Five of these sources may be 559 BOEKBESPREKINGEN — ASSYRIOLOGIE 560 classified as primary sources, i.e., contemporaneous records already published (2011), together with the omina compen- of events, while four are identified as secondary sources, i.e., dium IM 44093, which was previously classified as Seleucid, later compositions. A helpful and clear chart on the sequence but which is, according to Heeßel (p. 221, n. 13), of Middle of Middle and Late Kassite kings and their possible synchro- Babylonian dating as well. All are classified as ‘forerunners’ nisms with Elamite kings — together with their sources — is to the bārûtu series and do not yet display signs of serializa- listed in Table 6.01 (p. 167). Of great interest is Roaf’s eval- tion. Heeßel concludes with an interesting exception, KAL 5, uation of the so-called Berlin Letter (= VAT 17020 = Bab 8 (VAT 9512), which has a colophon denoting it as the 13384 = VS 24, 91) and the Kedor-Laomer Texts (= BM “eighth tablet” of a series. In order to determine the level of 34062, BM 35404 and BM 35496). He questions van Dijk’s standardization of KAL 5, 8, Heeßel compares this tablet in assessment of the relative chronology of the Kassite and Partitur with largely hitherto unpublished material for the Middle Elamite dynasties, founded on his analysis of the eighth tablet of šummatīrānū of the bārûtu series of the First Berlin Letter, by displaying the difficulties and inconsisten- Millennium. Although KAL 5, 8 largely complies with the cies which have now arisen from Elamite royal inscriptions. structure of individual omina of the later series, significant Previous attempts to reconcile both sources did not take into variants in content are still apparent. Heeßel argues that KAL account the mentions of Kudur-naḫḫunte in the Kedor- 5, 8 is most likely not part of a Middle Babylonian bārûtu Laomer Texts. Roaf offers a new chronological scheme series but rather is from a different, earlier series from the based on the primary evidence discussed in this paper and second millennium BCE. comes to the conclusion that the Berlin Letter is not a relia- §10 The Babylonian Kudurru Inscriptions and their Legal ble, historically accurate document. The marriages recorded and Sociohistorical Implications (pp. 229-244) by Susanne in that document cannot have taken place: Adad-šuma-uṣur Paulus is said to be the son of Dunna-Saḫ, whereas contemporary The evolution of kudurrus is investigated by Paulus in this sources record him as the son of Kaštiliaš IV. The Berlin paper. By examining their form and use in the Early to Mid- Letter and the Kedor-Laomer Texts are propagandist in char- dle Kassite periods (1595-1225 BCE), the Late Kassite acter and were written in the late Achaemenid Period or later, period (1225-1155 BCE), the Isin II period (1155-1026 BCE) serving a ruler from Iran who claimed kingship of Babylon. and the Early Neo-Babylonian period (1025-625 BCE), she §7 Kaššû: Cultural Labels and Identity in Ancient Meso- concludes that kudurrus were first commissioned as a reac- potamia (pp. 196-208) by Nathanael Shelley tion to the introduction of a new system of land ownership This paper examines the linguistic foundation for a Kassite during the Kassite period. This changed when the system identity by investigating the use of the term kaššû in various finally collapsed in the Early Babylonian period. Kudurrus contexts. Shelley divides the evidence for references to Kas- were now made to adapt to new purposes, such as the assign- sites as kaššû between individuals, groups and non-human ment of prebends and small private property transfers. This referents, and comes to the conclusion that kaššû was used new arrangement no longer needed royal arbitrariness or in the Old Babylonian period by non-Kassites to describe divine protection and for this reason, Paulus explains, kudur- a minority group with economic interactions and military rus disappeared. associations in and around Babylonia. Later during the Kas- §11 Die Götter der Kassitenzeit. Eine Analyse ihres site period, kaššû is used as a professional or official desig- Vorkommens in zeitgenössischen Textquellen (pp. 245-312) nation, further elaborated by Shelley in the final section of by Alexa Bartelmus this paper. After the fall of the Kassite dynasty, kaššû is In this paper Bartelmus investigates which deities were of generically used to describe a foreign population and corre- importance to the Kassite kings and their subjects. She exam- sponds more closely to a stereotype. It is repeatedly stated ines the use of theophoric elements in royal names, the by Shelley that this is a preliminary survey. New material occurrence of deities in the Early Kassite royal inscriptions — e.g., from CUSAS 8, 9, 28 and 30 — can be added to his and building and votive inscriptions of the Middle and Late list of references in Appendices 1 and 2. Kassite periods. This is followed by a section on personal §8 A Servile Population in Kassite Nippur: A Brief Over- religion focusing on private votive inscriptions, cylinder seal view (pp.
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