Yarim-Lim III
| Yarim-Lim III | |
|---|---|
| Great King of Yamhad | |
| Reign | c. Middle 17th century BC – c. 1625 BC. Middle chronology |
| Predecessor | Hammurabi II |
| Successor | Hammurabi III |
Yarim-Lim III (reigned c. Middle 17th century BC - c. 1625 BC - Middle chronology) was the king of Yamhad (Halab) succeeding Hammurabi II.[1]
Reign
Yarim-Lim ascended the throne at a time of internal disintegration for Yamhad combined with foreign threats represented with the rise of the Hittites, he was either the son of Niqmi-Epuh or Irkabtum.[1]
First Years and Internal Affairs
Yarim-Lim fought and won against Qatna in his Early years,[2] but Yamhad weakness was clear, Ammitakum of Alalakh declared himself king but not independent, he acknowledge Yarim-Lim as his suzerain and appointed his son Hammurabi as his heir in the presence of Yarim-Lim declaring him a servant to the great king of Yamhad although Yarim-Lim was a passive actor in naming the heir to Alalakh [3][4]
War with the Hittites
The Hittite king Hattusili I exploited Alalakh proclamation of sovereignty and the internal dissent it caused in Yamhad, he attacked Alalakh in the second year of his Syrian campaigns and conquered it cutting Aleppo route to the sea, Yarim-Lim didn't send troops to aid Alalakh and the city was destroyed,[5] he (Hattusili) then attacked Urshu, Yarim-Lim and Carchemish sent aid to the city in vain,[6] and Hattusili destroyed it.[7]
The Hurrians supported by Yarim-Lim attacked Hattusili newly acquired lands while he was campaigning against Arzawa,[8] he came back on his second campaign, this time fighting Aleppo directly
In the sixth year of his Syrian campaigns Hattusili headed toward Hassuwa (Khashshum), Yarim-Lim sent the Aleppan army under the leadership of General Zukrassi the heavy-armed troops leader accompanied by General Zaludis the commander of the Manda troops, the army consisted of about a hundred Chariot and thousands of foot soldiers,[9] the battle took place near Atalur mountain (located north of Aleppo not very far from the Amanus, it can be identified with the Kurd-Dagh Mountains),[10] Hattusili emerged victorious, he destroyed Hassuwa and moved on destroying Yamhad other Hurrian allies such as Zippasna and Hahhum,[11] then he crossed the Euphrates comparing himself with Sargon of Akkad and returned to Hattusa.[12]
Death and Succession
the date of Yarim-Lim death is not known, he died and was succeeded by Hammurabi III[13] his possible son or cousin,[14] before Hattusili direct attack on the city of Aleppo which ended in his defeat.[15]
References
Citations
- ^ a b wilfred van soldt. Akkadica, Volumes 111-120. p. 105.
- ^ Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards. The Cambridge Ancient History. p. 32.
- ^ Society for Old Testament Study, Clarendon P. Archaeology and Old Testament study: jubilee volume of the Society for Old Testament Study, 1917-1967. p. 124.
- ^ L. Kakosy. Oikumene. p. 41.
- ^ Trudy Ring; Noelle Watson; Paul Schellinger. Southern Europe: International Dictionary of Historic Places. p. 12.
- ^ William J. Hamblin. Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. p. 289.
- ^ Trevor Bryce. The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia. p. 753.
- ^ Mario Liverani. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. p. 260.
- ^ Robert Drews. The End of the Bronze Age: Changes in Warfare and the Catastrophe Ca. 1200 B.C. p. 106.
- ^ Shigeo Yamada. The Construction of the Assyrian Empire. p. 105.
- ^ Trevor Bryce. The Kingdom of the Hittites. p. 83.
- ^ Trevor Bryce. The Kingdom of the Hittites. p. 84.
- ^ Erich Ebeling; Bruno Meissner; Ernst Weidner; Dietz Otto Edzard. Reallexikon D Assyriologie. p. 261.
- ^ William C. Hayes; M. B. Rowton; Frank H. Stubbings. Chronology, Volume 1, Part 6. p. 45.
- ^ Trevor Bryce. Ancient Syria: A Three Thousand Year History. p. 29.