Eshnunna (Ešnunna, also Ašnunna, Išnun, Ašnun, Ašnunnak, and Ešnunak.Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients (TAVO), maps B I 17, B II 7, B II 8, B II 9, B II 12.2, B III 17.Nagel, Wolfram, "Eine Siegesstele des Narāmsîn von Ešnunak?", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 53, no. Jahresband, pp. 133-135, 1959) (modern Tell Asmar in Diyala Governorate, Iraq) was an ancient Sumerian (and later Akkadian) city and city-state in central Mesopotamia 12.6 miles northwest of Tell Agrab and 15 miles northwest of Tell Ishchali. Although situated in the Diyala Valley northwest of Sumer proper, the city nonetheless belonged securely within the Sumerian cultural milieu. It is sometimes, in very early archaeological papers, called Ashnunnak or Tupliaš.Ungnad, A., "Zu den Patesis von Tupliaš", Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, vol. 12, no. 1-6, 1909, pp. 81-81, 1909
The tutelary deity of the city was Tishpak (Tišpak) though other gods, including Sin, Adad, and Inanna of Kiti (Kitītum) were also worshiped there. The personal goddesses of the rulers were Belet-Šuḫnir and Belet-Terraban.
History Early Bronze
Inhabited since the Jemdet Nasr period, around 3000 BC, Eshnunna was a major city during the Early Dynastic period of Mesopotamia. It is known, from cuneiform records and excavations, that the city was occupied in the Akkadian period though its extent was noticeably less than it reached in Ur III times. Thorkild Jacobsen, "Philological Notes on Eshnunna and Its Inscriptions", Assyriological Studies 6, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1934 Areas of the Northern Palace date to this period and show some of the earliest examples of widespread sewage disposal engineering including toilets in private homes.George, A. R. "On Babylonian Lavatories and Sewers.", Iraq, vol. 77, 2015, pp. 75–106
Ur III period The first known rulers of the city were a series of vassal governors under the Third dynasty of Ur. Eshnunna may have had special relationships to the royal family. For example, Shulgi's wife Shulgi-Simtum showed devotion to two goddesses closely connected with the governor's dynasty at Eshnunna, and Shu-Sin's uncle Babati temporarily lived in Eshnunna.
Ituria is attested as the governor of Eshnunna under Ur from at least Su-Sun year 9 to Ibbi-Sin year 2.Michalowski, Piotr, "Foreign Tribute to Sumer during the Ur III Period", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 34-49, 1978 He erected a temple to Shu-Sin in a new lower town. Soon after Shu-Sin's death, Ituria was followed by his son Šu-ilišu, who in 2026 BC got rid of the Ur III calendar and replaced it with a local one. He also stopped calling himself the ensi (governor) of Eshnunna, instead referring to himself as lugal (king) and "beloved of Tishpak". His seal also mentioned the deities Belat-Shuhnir and Belat-Terraban. His personal seal shows him facing the god Tishpak, who is holding a rod and ring in one hand and an axe in the other while standing on two subdued enemies.
Middle Bronze Isin-Larsa period After the fall of the Ur III empire there was a period of chaos in Akkad with numerous city-states vying for power. Eshnunna established itself, for about 15 years, as the independent state of Warum. It was then briefly seized by Subartu who may have ousted Shu-iliya. Ishbi-Erra (in his 9th year, circa 2010 BC) of the southern Mesopotamia city of Isin defeated Subartu and installed Nur-ahum as the new ruler of Eshnunna. Reichel, C. 2008. "The King is Dead, Long Live the King: The Last Days of the Šu-Sîn Cult at Ešnunna and its Aftermath.", In: N. Brisch (ed.), Religion and Power. Divine Kingship in the Ancient World and Beyond, 133-155. OIS 4, Chicago. Bricks were found with his standard inscription "Nur-ahum, beloved of the god Tispak, governor of Esnunna".Douglas Frayne, "Ešnunna", Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 B.C.): Early Periods, Volume 4, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 484-592, 1990
Rulers of Eshnunna after Shu-iliya would call themselves the steward of Eshnunna on behalf of Tishpak, and Tishpak even took on traditional titles usually attested by kings.Pongratz-Leisten, Beate, "The Origins of Assyrian Cultural Tradition", Religion and Ideology in Assyria, Berlin, München, Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 93-144, 2015 The seal of Shu-iliya had him ruling under Tishpak i.e. "Tišpak, mighty king, king of the land Warum, king of the four quarters, Shu-iliya (is) his...".Sharlach, T. M., "Belet-šuhnir and Belet-terraban and Religious Activities of the Queen and the Concubine(s)", An Ox of One's Own: Royal Wives and Religion at the Court of the Third Dynasty of Ur, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2017, pp. 261-286, 2017
Kirikiri then ousted Nur-ahum from power. Not having ties to the previous ruler, he was likely an usurper, and a fire destroyed the northwestern part of the Su-Sin temple. However, he still called himself “ensi of Eshnunna” on behalf of Tishpak. An alternative view is that Kirikiri was actually the brother of Nur-ahum. Kirikiri established a new line of rulers with his son Bilalama. Bilalama formed a diplomatic marriage with Elam, giving his daughter Me-Kubi to Tan-Ruhuratir. The name of Kirikiri is non-Semitic, and possibly Elamite.
Bilalama attempted to maintain good relationships with Ilum-muttabbil of Der and Elam, although Der and Elam were at war. Bilalama was succeeded by Ishar-ramassu. The palace was then destroyed in a fire, which may have been the result of a foreign invasion. Ilum-mutabbil of Der may have taken Eshnunna and replaced Ishar-ramassu with Usur-awasu, which if the case would have meant that Der had attempted to break up the alliance between Elam and Eshnunna. The reigns of the successors Azuzum, Ur-Ninmarki and Ur-Ningishzida appeared to have been peaceful. There followed a period of political uncertainty in the Diyala.
The successor of Ur-Ningishzida, Ipiq-Adad I, was a son of Ur-Ninmarki. He was generally referred by his contemporaries as “prince,” a title that subsequent rulers of Eshnunna would still sometimes be referred to as. He is the earliest king of Eshnunna that the discovered correspondence letters were addressed to, which provided syncretisms between various rulers in the Diyala. The year name that mentioned Sumu-abum being expelled to Der possibly dates to the reign of Ipiq-Adad I, or sometime around his reign.
Ipiq-Adad's successor, Sharriya, is only known from two year names. Sharriya's successor, Warissa, is known from seven year names, including ones that celebrate his conquest of the cities Ishur, Tutub and Nerebtum (Kiti). Warissa's successor, Belakum, is known to have signed a treaty with an unnamed king, at around the same time as a treaty with the rulers of Nerebtum and Shadlash.
Ibal-pi-El I is known to have concluded a treaty with Sin-Iddinam of Larsa and Sîn-kāšid of Uruk against Sabium of Babylon and Ikūn-pî-Sîn of Nerebtum. However, this does create a chronological problem, as the start of the reign of Ipiq-Adad II is generally dated to 1860 BC via the Mari Eponym Chronicle, before the conclusion of this treaty which is generally dated to around 1842 BC. Guichard proposed that Ipiq-Adad's reign was perhaps interrupted by another Ibal-pi-El who signed the treaty, before Ipiq-Adad regained his position, or perhaps that there were actually two Ipiq-Adad's behind the 46 years allotted to Ipiq-Adad II in the Eponym Chronicles, Ipiq-Adad II and Ipiq-Adad III, of which Ipiq-Adad III would be the son of Ibal-pi-El I, the one who signed the treaty. The second proposal by Guichard is accepted by Nahm, who also suggests that the conquest of Rapiqum was done by Ipiq-Adad III. On the other hand, de Boer and De Graef suggests that the Mari Chronicle was likely wrong on the ascension time of Ipiq-Adad, dating it too early. Wasserman & Bloch instead suggest that perhaps Ipiq-Adad II became a co-regent of Ibal-pi-El I, which was recorded into the Eponym Chronicles as his ascension year (“into his father’s house”) while Ibal-pi-El continued to rule Eshnunna in this time frame, in a manner similar to that with Sin-iddinam of Larsa and his father Nur-Adad.
The 6th year name of Sin-iddinam claims that he destroyed Anshan and Eshnunna. Guichard claimed that this was an impetus for Eshnunna to seek the above alliance with Larsa.
Ipiq-adad II was the first king of Eshnunna to put the divine determinative before the name since Shu-Iliya, and took on the titles "mighty king" "king of the world" and "king who enlarged the kingdom of Eshnunna." The Mari Chronicles mentions that he defeated Aminum of Assur but was defeated by Elam. Later, he effectively brought the Diyala region under the control of Eshnunna. Ipiq-Adad II may have also conquered Rapiqum, but the year-name had been suggested by other scholars to instead be an alternative form of Hammurabi's 11th year name, which celebrated his conquest of Rapiqum. However, Lacambre and von Koppen argue that it should be read as a year name for Ipiq-Adad, likely towards the end of his reign. Rapiqum was later also conquered by Dadusha and then Ibal-pi-El II. Eventually, through the ambitions of both Sumu-la-El of Babylon and Ipiq-Adad II a line of demarcation between the two kingdoms was formed, running somewhere along Sippar-Amnanum. The boundary line changed multiple times after that, with Apil-Sin conquering Ashtabala and other cities along the Tigris, which was reversed by Naram-Sin of Eshnunna.
Naram-Sin, the successor of Ipiq-Adad II, also continued to use the divine determinative before his name and used similar ambitious epithets. Naram-Sin was also mentioned in Assyrian King List in the section on Shamshi-Adad, being the one who forced Shamshi-Adad into exile. The Laws of Eshnunna and the building of the Naram-Sin audience hall were from the reign of Naram-Sin of Eshnunna.
Mari, during the reign of Yahdum-Lim, adopted the writing system from Eshnunna with its sign usage and tablet shape, and a later letter addressed from Ibal-pi-El II to Zimri-Lim at the beginning of the latter's reign mentioned that Yahdun-Lim called the king of Eshnunna "father" which indicates a superior position on the part of the king of Eshnunna. Yahdum-Lim also bought the region of Puzurran from Eshnunna. Pongratz-Leisten suggests that the political power of Eshnunna extended to cultural influence with its neighbors, which could be seen from the similarities in style between the Dadusha stela, Mardin stela and the Yahdun-Lim's building inscriptions, which may have in turn influenced Assyria's ideology later.
After the death of Naram-Sin, three kings, Iqish-Tishpak, Ibbi-Sin, and Dannum-tahaz, ruled in short succession. Out of the three, Iqish-Tishpak was unrelated to Ipiq-Adad II and was probably a usurper. The sequence of these three rulers has not been established with certainty. After these three rulers, Dadusha, a brother of Naram-Sin, became king of Eshnunna.