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Rimush of Assyria

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Schroeder’s line art for the Assyrian Kinglist fragment known as KAV 14[i 1] after his publication.[1]

Rimush or Rīmu[š], inscribed mri-mu-u[š] on the only variant List of Assyrian kings on which he appears,[i 1] was the ruler of Assyria or perhaps just the part centered on Ekallatum, a successor to and probably a descendant of Shamshi-Adad I, although the exact relationship is uncertain. He reigned sometime during the middle of the 18th century BC.

Biography

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Neither the Khorsabad nor SDAS copies of the Assyrian Kinglist, the only lists whose earliest part is still intact, include any successors of Shamshi-Adad I’s son and heir Ishme-Dagan I, who had been ousted by Hammurabi. The fragmentary list known as KAV 14[i 1] (pictured) gives the sequence Shamshi-Adad, Ishme-[Dagān], [Mu]t-Ashkur, then Rimu-˹x˺ before skipping to the 54th ruler, Shu-Ninua. There may be sufficient space to insert a successor to Rimudh (Asinum?) on the end of the line his name is given. As the group falls within a section separated by lines from the rest of the list and the first three are known from other sources[i 2] to be related as father, son and grandson, it is assumed that the four or five names form a dynasty.[2]

Rimush would appear to be named for the son of the legendary king Sargon of Akkad, perhaps reflecting the extent to which Shamshi-Adad and his successors identified with this ancient prestigious dynasty, although the earlier Rimush was apparently assassinated by his own courtiers “with their seals,” according to a liver-omen of the monumental Bārûtu series, a somewhat ignominious end.[3] The events resulting in the demise of the dynasty are witnessed in only one inscription, that of Puzur-Sin, who boasted of overthrowing the son of Asīnûm, descendant of Šamši-Adad, whose name has not been preserved.[4] This may have been Rīmuš, or if Asīnû followed him, perhaps his grandson. The result was apparently turmoil as a rapid succession of seven usurpers took power, each reigning briefly before being overthrown.

Inscriptions

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  1. ^ a b c Assyrian Kinglist fragment VAT 9812 = KAV 14: 5.
  2. ^ From correspondence at Mari.

References

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  1. ^ Otto Schroeder (1920). Keilschrifttexte aus Assur Verschiedenen Inhalts. J. C. Hinrichs. p. 24.
  2. ^ Karen Radner (2008). "Rimu[š]". Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie 11: Prinz, Prinzessin - Samug. Walter de Gruyter. p. 371.
  3. ^ Ulla Koch-Westenholz (2000). Babylonian Liver Omens: The Chapters Manzazu, Padanu, and Pan Takalti of the Babylonian Extispicy Series Mainly from Assurbanipal's Library. Museum Tusculanum. p. 394.
  4. ^ A. K. Grayson (1972). Assyrian Royal Inscriptions, Volume 1. Otto Harrassowitz. pp. 29–30.
Preceded by King of Assyria
18th century BC
Succeeded by