Ulamburiash
Encyclopedia
Ulam Buriaš was a Kassite
king of Sealand, which he conquered during the second half of 16th century BC and may have also become king of Babylon
, possibly preceding or succeeding his brother, Kaštiliašu III.
Confirmation of his provenance comes from an onyx
weight, in the shape of a frog, with a cuneiform inscription, “1 shekel, Ulam Buriaš, son of Burna Buriaš
”, which was found in a large burial, during excavations of the site of the ancient city of Metsamor
. The burial for two, was accompanied by fifty sacrificial victims, nineteen horses, bulls, sheep and dogs. Situated in Armenia, in the middle of the Ararat valley, Metsamor was an important Hurrian
center for metal forging.
The Chronicle of Early Kings, a neo-Babylonian historiographical text preserved on two tablets, describes how Ea-gamil, the last king of Sealand, fled to Elam
ahead of an invasion force led by Ulam-Buriaš, the “brother of Kaštiliašu”, who became “master of the land”, i.e. Sealand, a region of southern Mesopotamia synonymous with Sumer
. A serpentine
or diorite
mace head or possibly door knob found in Babylon, is engraved with the epithet of Ulaburariaš, “King of Sealand”. The object was excavated at Tell Amran ibn-Ali, during the German excavations of Babylon, conducted from 1899 to 1912, and is now housed in the Pergamon Museum
.
and superseded by a poorly preserved name which is unlikely to be Ulam-Buriaš. He is mentioned twice in the Chronicle of Early Kings as the brother of Ulam-Buriaš and the father of Agum III
, but without a royal title, a feature of this chronicle that is shared by others, such as Samsu-Ditana
, who did prove to be kings.
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...
king of Sealand, which he conquered during the second half of 16th century BC and may have also become king of 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...
, possibly preceding or succeeding his brother, Kaštiliašu III.
Confirmation of his provenance comes from an onyx
Onyx
Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color . Commonly, specimens of onyx contain bands of black and/or white.-Etymology:...
weight, in the shape of a frog, with a cuneiform inscription, “1 shekel, Ulam Buriaš, son of Burna Buriaš
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...
”, which was found in a large burial, during excavations of the site of the ancient city of Metsamor
Metsamor
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...
. The burial for two, was accompanied by fifty sacrificial victims, nineteen horses, bulls, sheep and dogs. 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.
The Chronicle of Early Kings, a neo-Babylonian historiographical text preserved on two tablets, describes how Ea-gamil, the last king of Sealand, fled to 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...
ahead of an invasion force led by Ulam-Buriaš, the “brother of Kaštiliašu”, who became “master of the land”, i.e. Sealand, a region of southern Mesopotamia synonymous with Sumer
Sumer
Sumer was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age....
. A serpentine
Serpentinite
Serpentinite is a rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals. Minerals in this group are formed by serpentinization, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle...
or diorite
Diorite
Diorite is a grey to dark grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar , biotite, hornblende, and/or pyroxene. It may contain small amounts of quartz, microcline and olivine. Zircon, apatite, sphene, magnetite, ilmenite and sulfides occur as accessory...
mace head or possibly door knob found in Babylon, is engraved with the epithet of Ulaburariaš, “King of Sealand”. The object was excavated at Tell Amran ibn-Ali, during the German excavations of Babylon, conducted from 1899 to 1912, and is now housed in the Pergamon Museum
Pergamon Museum
The Pergamon Museum is situated on the Museum Island in Berlin. The site was designed by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann and was constructed in twenty years, from 1910 to 1930. The Pergamon houses original-sized, reconstructed monumental buildings such as the Pergamon Altar and the Market Gate...
.
Kaštiliašu III
Evidence of Kaštiliašu’s kingship is somewhat circumstantial. He may be the person indicated on line 12 of the Synchronistic King List who is preceded by a lacunaLacuna
Lacuna may refer to:* Lacuna , a missing section of text* Lacuna , an extended silence in a piece of music* Lacuna , a lexical gap in a language* Lacuna , the lack of a law or legal source addressing a situation...
and superseded by a poorly preserved name which is unlikely to be Ulam-Buriaš. He is mentioned twice in the Chronicle of Early Kings as the brother of Ulam-Buriaš and the father of Agum III
Agum III
Agum IIIInscribed mA-gu-um in the Chronicle of Early Kings. was a Kassite king of Babylon ca. mid 15th century BC. Speculatively, he might figure around the 13th position in the dynastic sequence, however, this part of the Kingslist AKingslist A, tablet BM 33332 in the British Museum...
, but without a royal title, a feature of this chronicle that is shared by others, such as Samsu-Ditana
Samsu-Ditana
Samsu-Ditana was the King of Babylon, who reigned from 1626 BC to 1595 BC.Samsu-Ditana is the last king of the First Babylonian Dynasty. After the Hittite army under Mursilis I invaded Babylon, he was overthrown....
, who did prove to be kings.