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Rîm-Anum "ri-im-da-nu-um" (Also RimAnum) was a ruler of Uruk, following Irdanene, for about four years (18 months has also been suggested) and most notably was part of the widespread revolt, led by Rim-Sîn II of Larsa and including 26 cities, among them Uruk, Ur, Isin and Kisurra as well as three "Elamite" governors (Tanene, Werriri, Kalumatum), against the First Dynasty of Babylon, at that time ruled by Samsu-iluna (c. 1749–1712 BC), son of Hammurabi. Texts of Samsu-iluna indicate Rîm-Anum was captured but are uncertain about whether he was put to death or spared. 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 The beginning of the reign of Rîm-Anum is generally taken as being the 8th regnal year of Samsu-iluna (c. 1742 BC), in the eighth month.deJong Ellis, Maria, "The chronological placement of King Rim-Anum", Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale 80.1, pp. 65-72, 1986 Within a few years Uruk was back under the control of Babylon with the 10th year name of Samsi-luna being "Year in which Samsu-iluna the king with the great strength of Marduk smote with weapons the troops of Ida-maras, Emutbal, Uruk and Isin". D. Charpin, "Chroniques bibliographiques 15. Le royaume d'Uruk et le pays d'Apum, deux voisins de Babylone vaincus par Samsu-iluna", RA 108, pp. 121–160, 2014 A number of southern cities including Nippur were destroyed in the course of putting sown the rebellion. Texts sent from those cites to the fort of Dūr-Abī-ešuḫ stopped when they fell. Texts from Uruk cease after the 10th year of Samsu-iluna.Béranger, Marine, "Dur-Abi-ešuh and the Abandonment of Nippur During the Late Old Babylonian Period: A Historical Survey", Journal of Cuneiform Studies 75.1, pp. 27-47, 2023
While it is traditionally assumed that Rîm-Anum ruled from Uruk, at least part of the time, it has also been proposed that he ruled from Malgium. Henri Frankfort, Seton Lloyd, and Thorkild Jacobsen with a chapter by Günter Martiny, "The Gimilsin Temple and the Palace of the Rulers at Tell Asmar", Oriental Institute Publication 43, 1940
Many tablets of Rîm-Anum were found at the temple of Sîn-kāšid during excavations at Uruk and are now held in the Iraq Museum in Baghdad and in Heidelberg. Rositani, Annunziata, "A demographic study on the people's presence at the BĪT ASĪRĪ during the reign of RĪM-ANUM", VICINO ORIENTE XXVII, pp. 69-88, 2023 A number of Rîm-Anum texts, illegally excavated, came, via the antiquities market, from the "house of the prisoners of war" (bīt asīrī) at Uruk, many of which are held at the British Museum.Leemans, Wilhelmus F., "The Asīru", Revue d'Assyriologie et d'Archéologie Orientale 55, pp. 57-76, 1961Rositani, Annunziata, "Rīm-Anum Texts in the British Museum", in NISABA. Studi Assiriologici Messinesi (Di.Sc.A.M.), Vol. 4, 2003 Rositani, Annunziata, "Some Rim-Anum Texts from the bit asiri kept at the British Museum", Rivista degli studi orientali : LXXXII, 1/4, pp. 97-121, 2009Rositani, Annunziata, "More Rīm-Anum's texts from the bīt asīrī", Semitica 56, pp. 35-64, 2014 Prisoners came from a number of cities including Eshnunna, Akkad, Malgium, Nērebtum, and Mutiabal.Rositani, Annunziata, "The Status of War Prisoners at Uruk in the Old Babylonian Period", Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 141-167, 2025 Many were dispersed to gods (the priests and temples thereof) such as An-Inanna, Kanisura, Rammānum, Šamaš, Lugal'irra and Meslamtaea. Others were put to work in a flour milling operation.Jursa, M., "A 'Prisoner Text' from Birmingham", in G. Chambon, M. Guichard, & A-I. Langlois (Eds.), De l'argile au numérique. Mélanges assyriologiques en l'honneur de Dominique Charpin, Peeters Publishers. Publications de l'Institut du Proche-Orient Ancien du Collège de France, pp. 507-512, 2019Rositani, Annunziata, "War Prisoners as Gifts of the King Rīm-Anum for Goddesses and Gods: Two New Texts", dNisaba za₃-mi₂. Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Honor of Francesco Pomponio, hrsg. v. Palmiro Notizia, Annunziata Rositani, Lorenzo Verderame (dubsar 19)., pp. 249-276, 2021 Seri, Andrea, "The House of Prisoners: Slavery and State in Uruk during the Revolt against Samsu-iluna", Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2013
The seals of some of Rîm-Anum's servants have been found on tablets. One, found on a number of texts, "Nabi-ilīšu, archivist, son of Lakita-remeni, servant of Rîm-Anum." includes the name of Nabi-ilīšu, the same as that proposed as the successor of Rîm-Anum.Frayne, Douglas, "Uruk", Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 B.C.): Early Periods, Volume 4, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 439-483, 1990
Four year names of Rîm-Anum are known, their order, and whether one is a duplicate, is uncertain:Year Names of Rim-Anum - CDLI Year Rîm-Anum (became) king Year in which Rîm-Anum the king defeated the land of Emutbal, the troops of Eshnunna, Isin and Kazallu who marched together against him to make booty ... which was not counted since ancient times ... and defeated them Year Rîm-Anum the king, the eternal name of his lordship - Alternately "Rîm-Anum, the king, lasting offspring of kingship". Year (Rîm-Anum the king) put in order his dispersed people
Another version of the 2nd year name has become available:
See also Ilūni List of Mesopotamian dynasties Chronology of the ancient Near East
References
Further reading Charpin, Dominique, "A Propos Du Bît Asîrî Sous Rîm-Anum", Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie Orientale, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 75–76, 1980 Pomponio, Francesco, "Rīm-Anum di Uruk", in Mél. Loretz, AOAT (Alter Orient und Altes Testament. Veröffentlichungen zur Kultur und Geschichte des Alten Orients und des Alten Testaments) 250, Münster, pp. 635–649, 1998 Rositani, Annunziata. "A proposito delle formule di datazione di Rim - Anum", Miscellanea di studi storici, vol. XII, no. 012, pp. 143–155, 2003 ISSN 0581-1643 Annunziata Rositani, "I prigionieri di guerra come forza lavoro asservita a Uruk durante il regno di Rīm-Anum", in Studi Epigrafici e Linguistici del Vicino Oriente antico (SEL), vol. 34-36, pp. 287–305, 2017-2019 ISSN 2239-5393 Annunziata Rositani, "The e₂.mušen.ḫi.a in the Rīm-Anum Texts: a New Document", N.A.B.U. (Nouvelles Assyriologiques Brèves et Utilitaries), vol. 2021/1, no. 12, pp. 22–27, 2021 ISSN 0989-5671 Rositani, Annunziata, "King Rīm-Anum of Uruk: A Reconstruction of an Old Babylonian Rebel Kingdom", DOCUMENTA ASIANA 14, pp. 109-123, 2024 Sanati-Müller, Shirin, "Rîm-Anums absetzung durch Samsu-ilūna in Uruk", NABU 23, 1996 V. Scheil, "Le Nouveaux Roi Rīmānum", RT 20, pp. 64–65, 1898
External links Rîm-Anum tablet at the British Museum Rîm-Anum tablets at CDLI King Rīm-Anum of Uruk: A Reconstruction of an Old Babylonian Rebel Kingdom - Annunziata Rositani - 2022 Video (speaker is incomprehensible but the slides are good)