EBLA
When
the royal palace of Ebla was rediscovered under a pile of rubble
in the 1970s, its archives were found to house an enormous amount
of correspondence, some of which mentioned Syrian and northern
Mesopotamian states which were otherwise unknown. Kings and other
representatives made offerings at Ebla's sanctuaries, diplomatic
marriages were concluded, and wars were fought, most especially
a long-running conflict against Mari, further to the south. The
archive consisted of about 15,000 cuneiform tablets, mostly written
in Sumerian, but the remaining 20% were in Eblaite, a previously
unknown Semitic tongue.
Founded
as a settlement by about 3000 BC, the later city was located around
fifty-five kilometres (thirty-four miles) south of Alep (at Tell
Mardikh in modern Syria), and it probably had close ties with
Sumer from the start. Ebla means 'white rock', referring to the
limestone outcrop on which it was built. Initial independence
seems to have been ended by Mari, until a local dynasty under
Eberu freed the city and was probably responsible for creating
its first golden age during which most of its correspondence was
written (until circa 2250 BC).
(Additional
information by Francesco Costa.)
Nothing
is known about the earliest kings other than their names, taken
from an Eblaite tablet translated by Mario Liverani.
Abur-Lim
Agur-Lim
Ibbi-Damu
Ba-Damu
Enar-Damu
/ En-ar-Damu
Ishar-Malik
Kum-Damu
Adub-Damu
c.2400
BC :
Iblul-Il
of Mari is credited with conquering Ebla (and its subject city
of Harran). Between
this date and around 2250 BC the city reaches its peak of achievement
and development. The Eblaites elect a local merchant ruler as
their king (although the use of this is disputed by scholars,
with some preferring to use 'minister'), with each term of office
lasting for seven years. The names of the three known merchant
kings match those which are sometimes ascribed to the Awan kings
of Elam, so if they are one and the same, perhaps the 'elections'
were nothing of the kind.
![](Ancient_Ebla01_full.jpg)
The
surviving 17,000 or more clay tablets in the library of Ebla's
Royal Archives are the earliest written documents in Syria, and
they provide a wealth of detailed information about the region
and its kingdoms and trade networks
Igrish-Halam
/ Igris-Kalem : Elected ruler.
Irkab-Damu
/ (Ish'ar-Damu?) : Elected ruler. Name in parenthesis may
be a different person.
Ar-Ennum / Arennum / Arrukum : Elected ruler.
c.2334?
BC :
Ebla
is devastated by the Akkadian
empire, probably under Sargon (who later states that he passed through
Mari and used it as his base of operations in his campaign to the
west). Egyptian pottery
seals listing Pepi I are among the debris.
c.2330?
BC :
The
city breaks with tradition when Eberu founds a (short-lived) hereditary
monarchy. He concludes a treaty with Tudia of Ashur
which offers him the use of an official trading post over which
Ebla would maintain control. Ebla now reaches the height of its
prosperity, and it is during this period that its archives are created.
fl
c.2300 BC :
Eberu
/ Ibrum / Ebrium / Ibrium
?
- c.2250 BC :
Ibbi
Sippis / Ibbi Zikir :
Son. Fifth and last king (or minister) of this period.
Ebla
and Mari conduct a long-running conflict against each other, probably
for control over the trade route to Sumer. Mari has the upper hand
until the last Ebla ruler of the period (Ibbi Sippis) manages to
reverse the situation and destroy the enemy. Ibbi Sippis also concludes
treaties with neighbouring Alep (or Armi, as the Eblaites refer
to it).
c.2250
BC :
Being
one of the states which revolts against Naram-Sin of Agade, Ebla
is conquered in order to subdue it, ending its first golden age.
From
the discovery of seals there which bear her name, it seems that
Naram-Sin's daughter is the object of a diplomatic marriage, probably
to Ebla's ruler. Ebla is able to regain some economic importance
in the region, but does not return to its former levels of glory.
It is possible the city has economic ties with the nearby city of
Urshu, as is documented by economic texts from Drehem (a suburb
of Nippur), and
from findings in the Assyrian trading colony of Kanesh
in Anatolia.
c.2200
BC :
The
region is disrupted by invasions by barbarians from the north. Naram-Sin
of Agade may have taken advantage of the destabilisation of this
period, but as this conquest comes around half a century beforehand,
he may also be at least a partial cause of it.
It
seems more than coincidental that 'barbarians from the north' are
causing problems at the same time as the Gutians are first mentioned,
possible Indo-European
tribes who inhabit the Zagros Mountains. In the same period, Indo-European
tribes in the form of the Luwian
peoples are settling across southern Anatolia, making it likely
that one of these groups is responsible for probing expeditions
farther south.
![](Map_CentralAsia_3000BC_full.jpg)
By
around 3000 BC the Indo-Europeans had begun their mass migration
away from the Pontic-Caspian steppe, with the bulk of them heading
westwards towards the heartland of Europe
c.2112
- 2004 BC :
Ebla
is controlled by the third dynasty at Ur.
c.2000
- 1900 BC :
Ebla
is one of the northern Syrian states to survive the downturn in
the region's fortunes. It now falls under the control of Mari's
dynasty of generals.
c.1950?
BC :
Ibit-Lim
/ Ibbit-Lim : A member of the dynasty of generals in Mari.
c.1900
BC :
With
the end of the dynasty of generals, Ebla falls under Amorite control.
Within about half a century it starts to regain a level of its former
glory and prosperity which lasts until about 1600 BC.
c.1776
- 1600 BC :
Following
the break-up of the kingdom of Upper
Mesopotamia, Yamkhad becomes the dominant force in north-western
Syria, controlling Ebla. The city continues to prosper until it
is again destroyed, this time by a Hittite
king (Mursili I or Hattusili I).
fl
c.1470 BC :
Zakkar
: Visited by Idrimi of Alep after the latter fled his homeland.
c.1400
- 900 BC :
The
city falls under Aramaean
control, which they exercise over much of the region from Alep.
Ebla never recovers from its destruction in c.1600 BC, and it remains
a small village until it is finally abandoned and forgotten in the
seventh century AD.
Source
:
https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/
KingListsMiddEast/SyriaEbla.htm
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