Agum II
Encyclopedia
Agum IIInscribed A-gu-um-ka-ak-ri-me in his eponymous inscription, elsewhere unattested. (also known as Agum Kakrime) was possibly a Kassite
ruler who may have become the 8th or more likely the 9th king of the third Babylonian
dynasty sometime after Babylonia was defeated and sacked by the Hittite
king Mursilis I in 1531 BC (short chronology
), establishing Kassite Dynasty which was to last in Babylon until 1155 BC. A later tradition, the Marduk Prophecy,The Marduk Prophesy, Tablet K.2158 in the British Museum. gives 24 years after statue was taken before it returned of its own accord to Babylon, suggesting a Kassite occupation beginning around 1507 BC.
The only historical source describes him as son of Urzigurumaš, the 6th king of the dynasty, but the Synchronistic King ListA neo-Assyrian Synchronistic King List, A.117, in the Assur collection of the İstanbul Arkeoloji Műzeleri. has two lacunae
where the 8th and 9th kings precede Burna-Buriaš I
, who was the 10th. The 7th position is occupied by a name containing “Harba.”Variously restored as Harba-Šipak, and Ḫurbazum. It has been suggested that the 9th position may show traces of the name “Kakrime”, purported to mean Sword of Mercy.
from the land of Hana, pilfered by the Hittites during their sack of Babylon, and its restoration in the newly refurbished temple of Ésagila
. In it, Agum portrays himself as the legitimate ruler and caring “shepherd” of both the Kassites and the Akkadians. He asserts his suzerainty over Padan and Alman and also the Guteans, “a foolish people,”Some translations say “a barbarous people.” variously located in regions of the Zagros mountains
.
The inscription begins with an introduction, giving the King’s name, genealogy, epithets and so on. He is a descendent of Abi[rattash], “the fierce hero.” It continues with a long narrative of the return of Marduk and his consort Zarpanītum
and then lists Agum-Kakrime’s many generous donations to the temple and includes descriptions of the purification of the house itself by a snake charmer and the construction of protective demons for the doorway.
Of uncertain provenance, it is on a tablet which covers 8 columns and more than 350 lines, including much esoteric detail concerning the temple and its rituals. It was found in the library of Ashurbanipal
in Nineveh
, purporting to be a copy of an inscription made in antiquity. For those disputing its authenticity, it is a later pseudonymous propaganda piece for the cult of Marduk, emphasizing certain tax exemptions granted for the restoration of the statues. Those supportive of its authenticity cite the iconography of the demons described on the door of the cella, which represent Marduk’s defeated foes,“Venomous Snake” (bašmu), “hairy one” (lahmu), “Bison” (kusarikku), “Big-Weather Beast” (ugallu), “Mad Lion” (uridimmu), “Fish-Man” (kulullû) and “Carp-Goat” (suhurmašu) the gods of cities conquered by Babylon, such as Ešnunna
and are illustrative of a middle Babylonian theology. Marduk has yet to attain sovereignty over the universe characterized by the Enûma Eliš and the struggle with Tiāmat
.
Kassites
The Kassites were an ancient Near Eastern people who gained control of Babylonia after the fall of the Old Babylonian Empire after ca. 1531 BC to ca. 1155 BC...
ruler who may have become the 8th or more likely the 9th king of the third Babylonian
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
dynasty sometime after Babylonia was defeated and sacked by the Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
king Mursilis I in 1531 BC (short chronology
Short chronology timeline
The short chronology is one chronology of the Near Eastern Bronze and Early Iron Age, which fixes the reign of Hammurabi to 1728 BC – 1686 BC and the sack of Babylon to 1531 BC....
), establishing Kassite Dynasty which was to last in Babylon until 1155 BC. A later tradition, the Marduk Prophecy,The Marduk Prophesy, Tablet K.2158 in the British Museum. gives 24 years after statue was taken before it returned of its own accord to Babylon, suggesting a Kassite occupation beginning around 1507 BC.
The only historical source describes him as son of Urzigurumaš, the 6th king of the dynasty, but the Synchronistic King ListA neo-Assyrian Synchronistic King List, A.117, in the Assur collection of the İstanbul Arkeoloji Műzeleri. has two lacunae
Lacuna (manuscripts)
A lacunaPlural lacunae. From Latin lacūna , diminutive form of lacus . is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or a musical work...
where the 8th and 9th kings precede Burna-Buriaš I
Burnaburiash I
Burna-Buriyåš I, meaning servant of the Lord of the lands, was the first Kassite who really ruled over Babylonia, possibly the first to occupy the city of Babylon proper around 1510 BC, culminating a century of creeping encroachment by the Kassite tribes. He was the tenth king of the Babylonian...
, who was the 10th. The 7th position is occupied by a name containing “Harba.”Variously restored as Harba-Šipak, and Ḫurbazum. It has been suggested that the 9th position may show traces of the name “Kakrime”, purported to mean Sword of Mercy.
Agum-Kakrime Inscription
Everything that is known about him is through the Agum-Kakrime InscriptionTablets K. (for Kouyunjik collection) 4149, 4203, 4348 and Sm. (for Smith collection) 27 in the British Museum. which describes the King’s recovery of the cultic Statue of MardukMarduk
Marduk was the Babylonian name of a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon, who, when Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of Hammurabi , started to...
from the land of Hana, pilfered by the Hittites during their sack of Babylon, and its restoration in the newly refurbished temple of Ésagila
Esagila
The Ésagila, a Sumerian name signifying "É whose top is lofty", was a temple dedicated to Marduk, the protector god of Babylon...
. In it, Agum portrays himself as the legitimate ruler and caring “shepherd” of both the Kassites and the Akkadians. He asserts his suzerainty over Padan and Alman and also the Guteans, “a foolish people,”Some translations say “a barbarous people.” variously located in regions of the Zagros mountains
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
.
The inscription begins with an introduction, giving the King’s name, genealogy, epithets and so on. He is a descendent of Abi[rattash], “the fierce hero.” It continues with a long narrative of the return of Marduk and his consort Zarpanītum
Sarpanit
In Babylonian mythology, Sarpanit is a mother goddess and the consort of the chief god, Marduk. Their marriage was celebrated annually at New Year in Babylon. She was worshipped via the rising moon, and was often depicted as being pregnant. She is also known as Erua...
and then lists Agum-Kakrime’s many generous donations to the temple and includes descriptions of the purification of the house itself by a snake charmer and the construction of protective demons for the doorway.
Of uncertain provenance, it is on a tablet which covers 8 columns and more than 350 lines, including much esoteric detail concerning the temple and its rituals. It was found in the library of Ashurbanipal
Library of Ashurbanipal
-External links:. In our time discussion programme. 45 minutes....
in Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
, purporting to be a copy of an inscription made in antiquity. For those disputing its authenticity, it is a later pseudonymous propaganda piece for the cult of Marduk, emphasizing certain tax exemptions granted for the restoration of the statues. Those supportive of its authenticity cite the iconography of the demons described on the door of the cella, which represent Marduk’s defeated foes,“Venomous Snake” (bašmu), “hairy one” (lahmu), “Bison” (kusarikku), “Big-Weather Beast” (ugallu), “Mad Lion” (uridimmu), “Fish-Man” (kulullû) and “Carp-Goat” (suhurmašu) the gods of cities conquered by Babylon, such as Ešnunna
Eshnunna
Eshnunna was an ancient Sumerian city and city-state in central Mesopotamia. Although situated in the Diyala Valley north-east of Sumer proper, the city nonetheless belonged securely within the Sumerian cultural milieu.The tutelary deity of the city was Tishpak .- History :Occupied from the Jemdet...
and are illustrative of a middle Babylonian theology. Marduk has yet to attain sovereignty over the universe characterized by the Enûma Eliš and the struggle with Tiāmat
Tiamat
In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is a chaos monster, a primordial goddess of the ocean, mating with Abzû to produce younger gods. It is suggested that there are two parts to the Tiamat mythos, the first in which Tiamat is 'creatrix', through a "Sacred marriage" between salt and fresh water,...
.