Kurigalzu I
Encyclopedia
Kurigalzu I the seventeenth king of the Kassite
dynasty that ruled over Babylon
, was responsible for one of the most extensive and widespread building programs for which evidence has survived in Babylonia. The autobiography of Kurigalzu is one of the inscriptions which record that he was the son of Kadašman-Ḫarbe
. He was the first Kassite ruler of Babylonia to declare himself divine. Galzu was the name by which the Kassites called themselves and Kurigalzu may mean Shepherd of the Kassites.
He was separated from his namesake, Kurigalzu II
, by around forty-five years and as it was not the custom to assign regnal numbers and they both had lengthy reigns, this makes it exceptionally difficult to distinguish for whom an inscription is intended. The later king is, however, better known for his military campaigns against the Assyrians and Elam than any building work he may have undertaken.
and includes evidence of dialogue between Thutmose IV
and Kurigalzu as attested to by Amenhotep III
in his letter, designated EA 1, to Kadašman-Enlil
. Burna-Buriaš II reminded Akhenaten
in his letter, EA 11, that Kurigalzu had been sent gold by one of his ancestors, and, in EA 9, reminded Tutankhamen that Kurigalzu had turned down a request from the Canaan
ites to form an alliance against Egypt.
te princesses and one from Arzawa
in his harem, and who would even later go on to wed Kurigalzu's granddaughter, the daughter of Kadašman-Enlil.
A Neo-Babylonian copy of a literary text which takes the form of a letter, now located in the Vorderasiatisches Museum
in Berlin, is addressed to the Kassite court by an Elamite King and details the genealogy of the Elamite royalty of this period. Apparently, he married his sister to the Elam
ite king Paḫir-iššan, and a daughter to the next Elamite king, Ḫumban-numena. This may have been Mishim-ruh, who is cited in royal inscriptions. The princess went on to bear Untash-Napirisha, the next king who was destined to marry Burna-Buriaš’ daughter. The author of the letter is thought to be Shutruk-Nahhunte, ca. 1190-1155 BC, who claims descent from Kurigalzu’s eldest daughter and also wed the eldest daughter of Meli-Šipak, the thirty third Kassite king. Unfortunately the letter inserts Nabu-apla-iddina
(888 – 855 BC) “an abomination, son of a Hittite
”, into the narrative making a chronological conundrum and this may be the purpose of the “letter”, to denigrate the later king through the tongue of the earlier one.
, incorporating fragments of the Ur-Nammu Stela
in buildings on the ziggurat terrace, the Edublal-Maḫ of Sîn buildings, or “house for hanging up the exalted tablets”, and the building of the gateway.
He was the first king to build a royal residence bearing his name, a new capital city founded over an older settlement and built around 1390 BC, named Dur-Kurigalzu
, or 'fortress of Kurigalzu', in the far north of Babylonia (modern ‘Aqar Qūf). It was positioned to protect an important trade route that led east across the Iranian plateau to Afghanistan, the source of lapis lazuli
. The 170-foot-high ziggurat of Enlil can still be seen on the western outskirts of Baghdad, with its reinforcing layers of reed matting and bitumen and the remains of three temples at its foot. Rawlinson first identified the site in 1861 from the brick inscriptions. Excavated in 1942–45 by Seton Lloyd
and Taha Baqir
, the city covered 225 hectares and included the Egal-kišarra, or “Palace of the Whole World”, a vast palatial and administrative complex.
In an adoption contract which sternly warns the adoptee, “If [Il]i-ippašra
says, ‘you are not my father’, they shall shave his head, bind him and sell him for silver,” the date formula used, “in the month of Šabatu, the 19th day, the year Kurigalzu, the king, built the Ekurigibara,” predates that which was introduced during the reign of Kadašman-Enlil I
and that had become de rigueur by the later reign of Kurigalzu II. The Ekurigibara of Enlil
was a temple in Nippur
.
with an estate situated on the Euphrates near Nippur, is known as the autobiography of Kurigalzu and comes in the form of a small hexagonal prism of light-yellow baked clay and a fragmentary cylinder. In it, he takes credit for being the
He “caused Anu
the father of the great gods to dwell in his exalted sanctuary”, which is suggested to be referring to the restoration of the Anu cult. The text lacks the linguistic features and script characteristics which would bring one to suppose it is a genuine copy of an ancient inscription and was probably created in late Babylonian times to enhance the prestige of the Ištar cult. The extent to which it preserves tradition from the actual events of the reign of Kurigalzu cannot as yet be determined.
where a remarkable carnelian cylinder seal with a hieroglyphic inscription mentioning the Kassite king Kurigalzu I was found. Situated in Armenia, in the middle of the Ararat valley, Metsamor was an important Hurrian
center for metal forging
A seal is inscribed Nur-[.sup.d]x, son of Kurigalzu, and claims the title nu.es [.sup.d]en.lil, which is shared with others, such as three governors of Nippur and other princes. The meaning of this title and the identity of the Kurigalzu, I or II, are not known.
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...
dynasty that ruled over Babylon
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...
, was responsible for one of the most extensive and widespread building programs for which evidence has survived in Babylonia. The autobiography of Kurigalzu is one of the inscriptions which record that he was the son of Kadašman-Ḫarbe
Kadashman-harbe I
Kadašman-Ḫarbe I was the sixteenth Kassite King of Babylon, and the kingdom contemporarily known as Kar-Duniaš, during the early fourteenth century, BCE.-His provenance:...
. He was the first Kassite ruler of Babylonia to declare himself divine. Galzu was the name by which the Kassites called themselves and Kurigalzu may mean Shepherd of the Kassites.
He was separated from his namesake, Kurigalzu II
Kurigalzu II
Kurigalzu II was the twenty second king of the Kassite dynasty that ruled over Babylon. In more than twelve inscriptions, Kurigalzu names Burna-Buriaš II as his father...
, by around forty-five years and as it was not the custom to assign regnal numbers and they both had lengthy reigns, this makes it exceptionally difficult to distinguish for whom an inscription is intended. The later king is, however, better known for his military campaigns against the Assyrians and Elam than any building work he may have undertaken.
Through correspondence
Prior diplomatic correspondence is evident, from study of the Amarna lettersAmarna letters
The Amarna letters are an archive of correspondence on clay tablets, mostly diplomatic, between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru during the New Kingdom...
and includes evidence of dialogue between Thutmose IV
Thutmose IV
Thutmose IV was the 8th Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt, who ruled in approximately the 14th century BC...
and Kurigalzu as attested to by Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. According to different authors, he ruled Egypt from June 1386 to 1349 BC or June 1388 BC to December 1351 BC/1350 BC after his father Thutmose IV died...
in his letter, designated EA 1, to Kadašman-Enlil
Kadashman-Enlil I
Kadašman-Enlil ITypically rendered mka-dáš-man-dEN.LÍL in contemporary inscriptions. was a Kassite King of Babylon from ca. 1374 BC to 1360 BC , perhaps the 18th of the dynasty. He is known to have been a contemporary of Amenhotep III of Egypt, with whom he corresponded...
. Burna-Buriaš II reminded Akhenaten
Akhenaten
Akhenaten also spelled Echnaton,Ikhnaton,and Khuenaten;meaning "living spirit of Aten") known before the fifth year of his reign as Amenhotep IV , was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt who ruled for 17 years and died perhaps in 1336 BC or 1334 BC...
in his letter, EA 11, that Kurigalzu had been sent gold by one of his ancestors, and, in EA 9, reminded Tutankhamen that Kurigalzu had turned down a request from the Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ites to form an alliance against Egypt.
Through marriage
He gave his daughter to Amenhotep III, who was a serial practitioner of diplomatic marriages with two MitanniMitanni
Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
te princesses and one from Arzawa
Arzawa
Arzawa in the second half of the second millennium BC was the name of a region and a political entity in Western Anatolia, the core area of which was centered on the Hermos and Maeander river valleys, corresponding with the Late Bronze Age kingdoms of the...
in his harem, and who would even later go on to wed Kurigalzu's granddaughter, the daughter of Kadašman-Enlil.
A Neo-Babylonian copy of a literary text which takes the form of a letter, now located in the Vorderasiatisches Museum
Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin
The Vorderasiatisches Museum is an archaeological museum in Berlin. It is in the basement of the south wing of the Pergamon museum and has one of the world's largest collections of Southwest Asian art. 14 halls distributed across 2000 square meters of exhibition surface display southwest Asian...
in Berlin, is addressed to the Kassite court by an Elamite King and details the genealogy of the Elamite royalty of this period. Apparently, he married his sister to the Elam
Elam
Elam was an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and the southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province, as well as a small part of southern Iraq...
ite king Paḫir-iššan, and a daughter to the next Elamite king, Ḫumban-numena. This may have been Mishim-ruh, who is cited in royal inscriptions. The princess went on to bear Untash-Napirisha, the next king who was destined to marry Burna-Buriaš’ daughter. The author of the letter is thought to be Shutruk-Nahhunte, ca. 1190-1155 BC, who claims descent from Kurigalzu’s eldest daughter and also wed the eldest daughter of Meli-Šipak, the thirty third Kassite king. Unfortunately the letter inserts Nabu-apla-iddina
Nabu-apla-iddina
Nabu-apla-iddina was a Babylonian king who reigned ca. 888 – 855 BC. His father was King Nabu-shuma-ukin. During much of Nabu-apla-iddina's reign Babylon faced a significant rival in Assyria under the rule of Ashurnasirpal II...
(888 – 855 BC) “an abomination, son of a 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...
”, into the narrative making a chronological conundrum and this may be the purpose of the “letter”, to denigrate the later king through the tongue of the earlier one.
Building works
Kurigalzu’s construction efforts are attested to at no less than eleven Babylonian cities. He was responsible for rebuilding the Ningal Temple at UrUr
Ur was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
, incorporating fragments of the Ur-Nammu Stela
Code of Ur-Nammu
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known tablet containing a law code surviving today. It was written in the Sumerian language circa 2100 BC-2050 BC...
in buildings on the ziggurat terrace, the Edublal-Maḫ of Sîn buildings, or “house for hanging up the exalted tablets”, and the building of the gateway.
He was the first king to build a royal residence bearing his name, a new capital city founded over an older settlement and built around 1390 BC, named Dur-Kurigalzu
Dur-Kurigalzu
Dur-Kurigalzu was a city in southern Mesopotamia near the confluence of the Tigris and Diyala rivers about 30 km west of the center of Baghdad. It was founded by a Kassite king of Babylon, Kurigalzu I, some time in the 14th century BC, and was abandoned after the fall of the Kassite dynasty...
, or 'fortress of Kurigalzu', in the far north of Babylonia (modern ‘Aqar Qūf). It was positioned to protect an important trade route that led east across the Iranian plateau to Afghanistan, the source of lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color....
. The 170-foot-high ziggurat of Enlil can still be seen on the western outskirts of Baghdad, with its reinforcing layers of reed matting and bitumen and the remains of three temples at its foot. Rawlinson first identified the site in 1861 from the brick inscriptions. Excavated in 1942–45 by Seton Lloyd
Seton Lloyd
Seton Howard Frederick Lloyd, CBE , was an English archaeologist. He was President of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq, Director of the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara , Professor of Western Asiatic Archaeology in the Institute of Archaeology, University of London...
and Taha Baqir
Taha Baqir
Taha Baqir was an Iraqi archaeologist, author, cuneiformist, linguist, historian, and former curator of the National Museum of Iraq.Baqir is considered one of Iraq's most eminent archaeologists...
, the city covered 225 hectares and included the Egal-kišarra, or “Palace of the Whole World”, a vast palatial and administrative complex.
In an adoption contract which sternly warns the adoptee, “If [Il]i-ippašra
Ilī-ippašra
Ilī-ippašra, meaning "My god became reconciled with me", was a Babylonian who may have been adopted or apprenticed during the reign of Kassite king Kurigalzu I, ending ca. 1375 BC, and rose to become an official, possibly the governor of Dilmun, ancient Bahrain, during the later reign of...
says, ‘you are not my father’, they shall shave his head, bind him and sell him for silver,” the date formula used, “in the month of Šabatu, the 19th day, the year Kurigalzu, the king, built the Ekurigibara,” predates that which was introduced during the reign of Kadašman-Enlil I
Kadashman-Enlil I
Kadašman-Enlil ITypically rendered mka-dáš-man-dEN.LÍL in contemporary inscriptions. was a Kassite King of Babylon from ca. 1374 BC to 1360 BC , perhaps the 18th of the dynasty. He is known to have been a contemporary of Amenhotep III of Egypt, with whom he corresponded...
and that had become de rigueur by the later reign of Kurigalzu II. The Ekurigibara of Enlil
Enlil
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
was a temple in Nippur
Nippur
Nippur was one of the most ancient of all the Sumerian cities. It was the special seat of the worship of the Sumerian god Enlil, the "Lord Wind," ruler of the cosmos subject to An alone...
.
The autobiography of Kurigalzu
A neo-Babylonian copy of a text recording the endowment by Kurigalzu, son of Kadašman-Ḫarbe, of a temple of IštarIshtar
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
with an estate situated on the Euphrates near Nippur, is known as the autobiography of Kurigalzu and comes in the form of a small hexagonal prism of light-yellow baked clay and a fragmentary cylinder. In it, he takes credit for being the
He “caused Anu
Anu
In Sumerian mythology, Anu was a sky-god, the god of heaven, lord of constellations, king of gods, Consort of Antu, spirits and demons, and dwelt in the highest heavenly regions. It was believed that he had the power to judge those who had committed crimes, and that he had created the stars as...
the father of the great gods to dwell in his exalted sanctuary”, which is suggested to be referring to the restoration of the Anu cult. The text lacks the linguistic features and script characteristics which would bring one to suppose it is a genuine copy of an ancient inscription and was probably created in late Babylonian times to enhance the prestige of the Ištar cult. The extent to which it preserves tradition from the actual events of the reign of Kurigalzu cannot as yet be determined.
Other sources
Evidence of the stretch of Kassite influence comes to us from a tomb at MetsamorMetsamor
Metsamor is a city in the Armavir Province of Armenia. Armenia's Nuclear Power Plant called Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is located in this city. Metsamor was built in 1979 to house workers from the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. The power plant was closed in 1989 after an earthquake prompted...
where a remarkable carnelian cylinder seal with a hieroglyphic inscription mentioning the Kassite king Kurigalzu I was found. Situated in Armenia, in the middle of the Ararat valley, Metsamor was an important Hurrian
Hurrians
The Hurrians were a people of the Ancient Near East who lived in Northern Mesopotamia and adjacent regions during the Bronze Age.The largest and most influential Hurrian nation was the kingdom of Mitanni. The population of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia to a large part consisted of Hurrians, and...
center for metal forging
A seal is inscribed Nur-[.sup.d]x, son of Kurigalzu, and claims the title nu.es [.sup.d]en.lil, which is shared with others, such as three governors of Nippur and other princes. The meaning of this title and the identity of the Kurigalzu, I or II, are not known.