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Ancient kings (Dark Age)

The chronology of this period is extremely unclear. It is certain that the four dynasties on this page are partly contemporary, but the evidence is contradictory and the exact synchronisms are unclear. Some problems are described below.

Assyria

Babylonia (Kassites)

Babylonia (Sealand)

Babylonia (1st dynasty)
 
Ilušuma
(dates not known)
 
 
c.1894
 
 
Sumuabum
(1894-1881)
 
     
c.1881
Erišum I
contemporary of Sumulael
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
Ikunum
(dates not known)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Sargon I
(dates not known)
 
Ilumael
(60 years)
 Sumulael
(1881-1845)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Puzur-Aššur II
(?-1876)
        
     
c.1876
Naram-Sin
(c.1876- ?)
        
 
 
 
c.1845
 
 
 
Sabium
(1845-1831)
 
 
 
 
c.1831
Erišum II
(?-1813)
 
Apil-Sin
(1831-1813)
c.1822
 
 
c.1813
Šamši-Adad I
(1813-1781)
 
 
Sin-muballit
(1813-1793)
  
   
Itti-ili-nibi
(56 years?)
c.1793
     
c.1781
   
Hammurabi
(1793-1750)
c.1765
Išme-Dagan I
(1781-1741)
  
Damiq-ilišu
(26 years?)
c.1750
     
c.1741
Mut-Aškur
(dates not known)
  
 
c.1740
         
Rimu-xxx
(dates not known)
  
Iškibal
(15 years)
    
 
   
c.1729
Asinum
(dates not known)
  
 
c.1725
     
Samsuiluna
(1750-1712)
  
Aššur-dugul
(6 years)
        
         
Aššur-apla-idi
(dates not known)
Gandaš I
(1729-1704)
      
   
Šušši
(24 years)
    
Nasir-Sin
(dates not known)
        
     
c.1712
Sin-namir
(dates not known)
   
c.1704
   
 
c.1700
Ipqi-Ištar
(dates not known)
  
Gulkišar
(12 years)
    
 
Agum I
(1704-1682)
Abi-ešuh
(1712-1684)
c.1688
Adad-salulu
(dates not known)
    
c.1684
 
mGÍS-EN, same
(12 years)
 
c.1682
Adasi
(years not known)
  
 
c.1676
Kaštiliašu I
(1682-1659)
    
c.1674
Belu-bani
(10 years)
    
Ammiditana
(1684-1647)
  
 
    
c.1664
Libaja
(17 years)
Pešgaldaramaš
(50 years)
 
c.1659
Abirattaš
(1659-...)
 
c.1647
Šarma-adad I
(12 years)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ammisaduqa
(1647-1626)
c.1634
IB.TAR-Sin
(12 years)
 Kaštiliašu II
(dates not known)
c.1626
 
Adarakalamma
(28 years)
Samsuditana
(1626-1595)
c.1622
Bazaja
(28 years)
Urzigurumaš
(dates not known)
 
c.1599 
 
 
 
1595
 
Ekurduanna
(26 years)
 
c.1594
Lullaja
(6 years)
Harba-Šipak
(dates not known)
 
 
 
 
 
 
c.1588
Šu-Ninua
(14 years)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
c.1574
Šarma-Adad II
(3 years)
Tiptakzi
contemporary of Šarma-Adad
 
c.1572
 
Melamkurkurra
(7 years)
contemporary of Šarma-Adad
 
c.1571
Erišum III
(13 years)
Agum II
(dates not known)
 
c.1565
 
Ea-gamil
(9 years)
 
c.1558
 
 
 
c.1556
Šamši-Adad II
(6 years)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
c.1552
Išme-Dagan II
(16 years)
Burnaburiaš I
contemporary of Išme-Dagan
 
 
 
 
 
 
c.1536
Šamši-Adad III
(16 years)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
c.1520
Aššur-nirari I
(26 years)
Kaštiliašu III
contemporary of Aššur-nirari
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c.1494
Puzur-Aššur III
(14/24 years)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c.1480
Enlil-nasir
(13 years)
Ulamburiaš
contemporary of Puzur-Aššur,
Enlil-nasir and Nur-ili
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c.1467
Nur-ili
(12 years)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aššur-šaduni
(one month)
 
 
 
 c.1455
 
 
 
 
Aššur-rabi I
(dates not known)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c.1437
Aššur-nadin-ahhe I
(dates unknown)
Agum  III
(dates not known)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1420
Enlil-nasir II
(1420-1415)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1415 
Aššur-nirari II
(1415-1408)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1408
Aššur-Bêl-nišešu
(1408-1399)
Karaindaš
contemporary of Aššur-Bêl-nišešu
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kadašman-Harbe I
(dates not known)
 
 
1399
 
 
 
 
 
Aššur-rim-nišešu
(1399-1391)
Kurigalzu I
(dates not known)
 
 
 
<< Earlier kings
Later kings >>
The chronology of this period is extremely unclear. It is certain that the four dynasties on this page are partly contemporary, but the evidence is contradictory and the exact synchronisms are unclear. One problem is that the Synchronic King List makes the Babylonian ruler Pešgaldaramaš a contemporary of the Assyrian Bazaja, and says that their successors Melamkurkurra and Šarma-Adad II lived at the same time. However, the Babylonian King Lists offer us regnal years for all these kings, and there are simply too many regnal years between he Babylonian kings to allow both synchronisms. Either the regnal years are wrong, or the synchronisms are inaccurate (and probably both). Another problem is the gap in the regnal years of the Assyrian King List for Aššur-rabi I and Aššur-nadin-ahhe I.

This table was made using several assumptions.

  • As the average reign of an Assyrian king was about 17½ years, Aššur-rabi I and Aššur-nadin-ahhe I are given 35 years.
  • The first regnal year of Gandaš is 1729 (which is the year one reaches when one accepts the total length of his dynasty as it is given in Babylonian King List A).
  • The first reliable synchronism in the Synchronic King List is Šarma-Adad (Assyria), Tiptakzi (Kassite Babylon), and Melamkurkurra (Sealand).
  • For the First Dynasty of Babylon, the Middle Chronology is accepted.
Jona Lendering © 2006
Latest revision: 26 March 2006
 
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