CITY
STATE OF ADAB
City
State of Adab :
The
Sumerian city of Adab (modern Bismaya) was located between Telloh
and Nippur, and had as its principal deity the goddess Ninhursag.
Before the archaeological discovery of its remains it was only known
from a brief mention in the introduction to the Hammurabi Code (written
in circa 1760 BC in Babylon). The city was divided in two by a canal,
with an island on which stood the temple of E-mach, with a ziggurat.
Few of the texts discovered at Adab have been published, so little
is known about it, but it dates to the prehistoric period and was
abandoned relatively early, by no later than 2000 BC. For the rest
of its existence it was ruled by whichever city state held pre-eminence
in Sumer.
According
to the Sumerian king list, Adab was host to a single dynasty consisting
of one ruler who reigned for ninety years, taking the kingship from
the Second Dynasty of Ur. This is the ninth entry on the list comprising
king 59. Here, List 1 is primarily used, backed up by List 2.
c.2550
BC :
Mesilim
of Kish restores the Temple of E-sar.
c.2550
BC :
Nin-Kisalsi
: A vassal of Ur.
Me-Durba
: Son. A vassal of Ur.
c.2350
BC :
Lugalannemundu
/ Lugal-Ane-mundu :
Ruled for 90 years. 'King of the four quarters of the Universe.'
According
to the king list, Lugalannemundu receives the kingship following
the fall of the Second Dynasty at Ur. He is credited with extending
Sumer's control to include territory from the Persian Gulf right
up to the Mediterranean, bordering the Taurus mountains in the north,
and the Zagros mountains in the east, subjecting the Gutians. Going
even further, he confronts the king of the Marhashi, and leaves
an inscription to record the event.
The
empire dissolves upon Lugalannemundu's death and the kingship is
taken to Mari.
![](Sumer_Adab_Head01_full.jpg)
The
head of a ruler or governor of Adab (modern Bismaya) from the period
2050-2000 BC
c.2300
BC :
Adab
falls under the control of the Akkadian empire. It appears there
is still a line of kings at Adab which is allowed to continue to
rule, albeit with the lesser title of governor (ensi).
fl
c.2300 BC :
Meskigal
: A vassal of Agade.
c.2050
- 2000 BC :
The
Ur III empire rules Adab, probably appointing governors to administer
the city.
c.1760
BC :
Adab,
which has been unimportant since the time of the Akkadian empire.
receives its final mention in history as a satellite state of Hammurabi's
Babylonian empire.
Source
:
https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/
KingListsMiddEast/
MesopotamiaAdab.htm