Kisurra (modern Abū-Ḥaṭab, Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, Iraq) was an ancient Near East city situated on the west bank of the Euphrates, north of ancient Shuruppak and due east of ancient Kish. For most of its history it was subsidiary to the major nearby power centers of Uruk, Isin, and Larsa. The deities Inanna of Zabalam, Ningishzida, Ningal, Ninisina, and Annunitum were all worshiped at Kisurra, reflecting this influence. An obscure god Gal-ga-eri is mentioned in a tablet as coming from Kisurra. Frayne, Douglas R. and Stuckey, Johanna H., "G", A Handbook of Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Near East: Three Thousand Deities of Anatolia, Syria, Israel, Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria, and Elam, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 107-122, 2021 The ancient name of the site was determined in 1902 based on an inscribed brick translation by Friedrich Delitzsch. The brick read "Itur-Samas, chief of the Rabbeans, son of Iddin-Ilum, governor of Kisurra beloved of the god Samas and the goddess Annunitum"."Frayne, Douglas, "Kisurra", Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 B.C.): Early Periods, Volume 4, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 650-652, 1990 Kramer, Samuel N., "New tablets from Fara", Journal of the American Oriental Society 52.2, pp. 110-132, 1932
History Several rulers of Kisurra (almost always as governors for greater powers) are known from year names with their order being conjectural:Kisurra ruler Year Names at CDLI Itur-Šamaš (14 known year names) - built the temples of Annunitum, Enki, and Adad. Only known royal inscription. Manna-balti-El (10 YN) - built the temple of Ninurta and was a contemporary of Ur-Ninurta of Isin Šarrasyurrum (1 YN) Ubaya (4 YN) Zikrû (6 YN) Ibbi-Šamaš (1 YN) Sallum (2 YN) - built the city wall of Kakkulatum, a town known to be on the Tigris river near the mouth of the Diyalla river. Two tablets found at Kisurra had year names mentioning the death of Sallum.Mann, Oskar, "S", Band 11 Prinz, Prinzessin - Samug, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 472-648, 2008 Ibni-šadûm (7 YN) - His wife was the daughter of Larsa ruler Sūmû-Ēl (c. 1895-1866 BC).Földi, Z, "On the Seal of Ayalatum and the Dynasty of Larsa", Nouvelles Assyriologiques Brèves et Utilitaires, 2016/37, 2016
Another source states that Manna-balti-El, father of Ibni-šadûm married a daughter of Sūmû-Ēl based on an inscription reading "Šat-Sin, daughter of Sumu-El, daughter-in-law of Manna-balti-El, the wife of Ibni-šadum."Charpin, D., "Ibni-šadûm, roi de Kisurra, fils de Manna-balti-El et gendre de Sûmû-El de Larsa", NABU 39, pp. 21-22, 2002
Early Bronze Kisurra was established ca. 2700 BC, during the Sumerian Early Dynastic II period (17 ha). The southern end of the Isinnitum Canal was joined back into the Euphrates at Kisurra.Sumerian Waterways The city lasted as a center for commerce and transport through the Akkadian, Ur III (46 ha).
Middle Bronze The Larsa ruler Rim-Sin (c.1822 to 1763 BC) reports capturing Kisurra in his 20th year of reign. Cuneiform texts and excavation show a decline during the time of the Babylonian ruler Hammurabi (c.1792-1750 BC).Rients de Boer, "Beginnings of Old Babylonian Babylon: Sumu-Abum and Sumu-La-El", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 70, pp. 53–86, 2018 Texts show that prisoners of war from Kisurra were held at Old Babylonian period Uruk.Rositani, Annunziata, "The Status of War Prisoners at Uruk in the Old Babylonian Period", Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History, 2024 The Samsu-iluna (c. 1749-1712 BC), successor to Hammurabi, reports destroying Kisurra in his 13th year "Year in which Samsu-iluna the king by the command of Enlil brought Kisurra and Sabum to praise".Ebeling, E. and Meissner, B., "Reallexikon der Assyriologie (RIA-2), Berlin, 1938 Kisurra had joined the failed widespread revolt against the rule of Babylon, led by Rim-Sîn II of Larsa and including 26 cities, among them Uruk, Ur, and Isin as well as three "Elamite" governors (Tanene, Werriri, Kalumatum), against the First Dynasty of Babylon, at that time ruled by Samsu-iluna. Lambert, Wilfred G., and Mark Weeden, "A statue inscription of Samsuiluna from the papers of WG Lambert", Revue d’assyriologie et d’archéologie orientale 114.1, pp. 15-62, 2020 Kisurra is mentioned in the Edict of king Ammi-Saduqa (c. 1638–1618 BC) "If a debt is incurred by a son (= citizen) of Numhia, Emutbal, Idamaraz, Uruk, Isin, Kisurra, or Murgu and he [gives] hims[elf], his wife or [his children] in sale, in penal servitude ...".Kraus, F, "Konzigliche Verfugungen in altbabylonischer Zeit", Studia et Documenta ad lura Orientis Antiqui Pertinentia Xl, Leiden: Brill, 1984
Archaeology
The site has an area of about 46 hectares which is primarily Ur III and a northern extension of about 17 hectares which is primarily Early Dynastic II-III. The south end of the mound is covered by a modern cemetery. After a test excavation at the site by Hermann Volrath Hilprecht in 1901 German archaeologist Robert Koldewey with the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft excavated at the site in 1902-1903 for 33 days, finding many cuneiform tablets from Abū Ḥaṭab. Most of the tablets are held at the Istanbul Museum and Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin. Finds included (findspots unknown) an Old Akkadian period cylinder seal and five Old Babylonian period cylinder seals.Moortgat, Anton, "Vorderasiatische Rollsiegel, Ein Beitrag Zur Geschichte Der Steinschneidekunst", 1940Amiet, Pierre, "Glyptique susienne archaïque", Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale 51.3, pp. 121-129, 1957 A north-south trench was cut through the southern portion of the eastern edge of the mound and an east-west trench was dug at the north portion of the mound. A number of inscribed bricks of Bur-Sin (possibly the ruler of Isin) were found "dBur-Sin lugal Ur-(ki)-ma, Bur-Sin, in Nippur appointed by Bel of the Bel temple, the brave hero, King of Ur, King of the world divisions".Walter Andrae, "Die Umgebung von Fara und Abu Hatab", Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient Gesellschaft, no. 16, pp. 24-30, 1903 Walter Andrae, "Ausgrabungen in Fara und Abu Hatab. Bericht über die Zeit vom 15. August 1902 bis 10. Januar 1903", Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient Gesellschaft, no. 17, pp. 4-35, 1903 E. Heinrich, "Fara: Ergebmisse der Ausgrabungen der Deustchen Orient Gesellschaft in Fara und Abu Hatab 1902/03", J.C. Hinrichs, 1931Jabbar, Sattar A. "Excavations of German archaeological Expeditions In Al-Qadisiyah Governorate/Iraq (Isin, Tell Fara, Tell Abu Hatab)", Al-Qadisiyah Journal For Humanities Sciences 22.1, pp. 285-301, 2019 In 2016 the QADIS survey project, carried out an aerial and surface survey of the site (QD075a). The surface remains of Abū Ḥaṭab were Early Dynastic I-II and those of the Abū Ḥaṭab main mound were Ur III. Marchetti, Nicolò, Al-Hussainy, Abbas, Benati, Giacomo, Luglio, Giampaolo, Scazzosi, Giulia, Valeri, Marco and Zaina, Federico., "The Rise of Urbanized Landscapes in Mesopotamia: The QADIS Integrated Survey Results and the Interpretation of Multi-Layered Historical Landscapes", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 109, no. 2, pp. 214-237, 2019 Marchetti, Nicolò, and Federico Zaina, "Rediscovering the Heartland of Cities", Near Eastern Archaeology 83, pp. 146-157, 2020 To date 260 cuneiform tablets from Kisurra have been published, mostly administrative (primarily loans, deeds, and deliveries) in nature but including one letter. The letter included the notable oath text
The earliest tablets date to the reign of Larsa ruler Gungunum (c. 1932-1906 BC). The latest tablet is dated to the reign of Larsa ruler Rim-Sîn I (c. 1822-1763 BC).Witold Tyborowski, "New Tablets from Kisurra and the Chronology of Central Babylonia in the Early Old Babylonian Period", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 102, iss. 2, pp. 245–269, 2012, ISSN 0084-5299
List of rulers The following list should not be considered complete: Portrait or inscriptionRuler date and length of reign (Middle Chronology)Comments, notes, and references for mentionsIsin-Larsa period ()Itur-ŠamašUncertain; this ruler may have Son of Idinilu Held the title of, "King" temp. of Ur-NinurtaBur-Suen𒀭𒁓𒀭𒂗𒍪(21 years)Son of Ur-Ninurta Originally from Isin Said on the Sumerian King List (SKL) to have held the title of, "King" of not just Isin; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer temp. of SumuelErra-imitti𒀭𒀴𒊏𒄿𒈪𒋾(7 years)Originally from Isin Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Isin; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer temp. of Nur-AdadManabaltielUncertainHeld the title of, "King"SzarrasyurrumUncertainHeld the title of, "King"ZikrûUncertainHeld the title of, "King"UbayaUncertainHeld the title of, "King"ṢallumUncertainHeld the title of, "King"Ibni-šadûmUncertainHeld the title of, "King"Ibbi-SzamaszUncertainHeld the title of, "King"
See also Cities of the Ancient Near East List of Mesopotamian dynasties
Notes
Further reading E. J. Banks, "Impressions from the Excavations by the Germans at Fara and Abu Hatab", Biblical World, vol. 24, pp. 138–146, 1904 Blocher, Felix, "Zur Glyptik Aus Kisurra", Forschungen Und Berichte, vol. 29, pp. 25–35, 1990 Földi, Zsombor J., "Inannas Erhöhung in Kisurra und anderen Orten", Oriens antiquus: rivista di studi sul Vicino Oriente Antico e il Mediterraneo orientale: IV, pp. 51–55, 2022 Anne Goddeeris, "Tablets from Kisurra in the collections of The British Museum", Vol. 9, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, 2009, Anne Goddeeris, "The Economic Basis of the Local Palace of Kisurra", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 97, issue 1, pp. 47–85, 2007 Goddeeris, Anne, "An Adoption Document from the Kisurra Collection in the British Museum", in Mining the Archives. Festschrift for Christopher Walker, edited by Cornelia Wunsch, Babylonische Archive 1, Dresden: ISLET, pp. 93–98, 2002 Burkhart Kienast, "Die altbabylonischen Briefe und Urkunden aus Kisurra, Volumes 1-2", Steiner, 1978, Notizia, Palmiro, "A previously unidentified Old Babylonian loan document from Kisurra in the British Museum", AuOr 35, p. 177-179, 2017 Sommerfeld, W., "Untersuchungen zur Geschichte von Kisurra", ZA 73, pp. 204–231, 1983 Wagensonner, Klaus, "The Middle East after the Fall of Ur", The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East: Volume II: From the End of the Third Millennium BC to the Fall of Babylon, pp. 190–309, 2022
External links Digital images of Kisurra epigraphic finds at CDLI Old Babylonian text Corpus at Freiburger Altorientalische studies - in german Kisurra related Year Names at CDLI