Ninurta-apla-X

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Ninurta-apla-X
King of Babylon
Reign9th/8th century BC
PredecessorInterregnum
Baba-aḫa-iddina (last known predecessor)
Successor Marduk-bēl-zēri
House Dynasty of E
(mixed dynasties)

Ninurta-apla-X was a 9th/8th century BC king of Babylon during the period of mixed dynasties known as the dynasty of E. The name as currently given is based upon a 1920s reading that is no longer supported by direct evidence as the document from which it was derived is now too badly damaged to discern the characters proposed. [1]

Contents

Biography

His most recent predecessor known by name was Baba-aḫa-iddina, whose reign ended perhaps around twelve years earlier. During the interregnum there was no king for several years. [i 1] The only records of events during this period come from the chronicles of the Assyrian eponym dating system. These record that Šamši-Adad V’s seventh campaign was against Babylonia. His successor, Adad-nirari III, initially campaigned in the west [i 2] but during 802 BC the chronicle records “to the sea,” thought to be Sealand of southern Mesopotamia. In 795 and 794 BC he campaigned in Dēr. [2] The Synchronistic History [i 3] ended with his reign and records:

(The) king of Karduniaš, bowed down … He brought back the abducted people and granted them an income, privileges, and barley rations. The peoples of Assyria and Karduniaš were joined together. They fixed the boundary-line by mutual consent.

Synchronistic History, Column 4, lines 15–16 and 19–22.

Ninurta-apla-X’s successor was the similarly obscure king, Marduk-bēl-zēri.

Inscriptions

  1. Chronicle 24 r 8.
  2. Stele, BM 131124.
  3. Synchronistic History (ABC 21), K4401a + Rm 854.

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References

  1. J. A. Brinkman (1982). "Babylonia c. 1000–748 BC". In John Boardman; I. E. S. Edwards; N. G. L. Hammond; E. Sollberger (eds.). The Cambridge Ancient History: Volume 3, Part 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 310.
  2. Alan Millard (1994). Eponyms of the Assyrian Empire: 910 – 612 BC. Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project. pp. 57–58.