Shibtu (reigned 1775 BC – 1761 BC) was the wife of
Zimrilim __NOTOC__
Zimri-Lim (Akkadian: ''Zi-im-ri Li-im'') was king of Mari c. 1775–1761 BCE.
Zimri-Lim was the son or grandson of Iakhdunlim, but was forced to flee to Yamhad when his father was assassinated by his own servants during a coup. He ha ...
and
queen consort of the ancient
city-state
A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
of
Mari in modern-day
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. Historian Abraham Malamat described her as "the most prominent of the Mari ladies."
Life
Shibtu was born to the royal family of the kingdom of
Yamhad
Yamhad was an ancient Semitic kingdom centered on Ḥalab (Aleppo), Syria. The kingdom emerged at the end of the 19th century BC, and was ruled by the Yamhadite dynasty kings, who counted on both military and diplomacy to expand their realm. ...
. Her parents were
Yarim-Lim I
Yarim-Lim I, also given as Yarimlim, (reigned ) was the second king of the ancient Amorite kingdom of Yamhad in modern-day Aleppo, Syria.
Family Parentage
Yarim-Lim was the son and successor of the first king Sumu-Epuh and his queen Sumunna-Abi. ...
, king of Yamhad, and Gashera, his queen consort.
[Dalley, 2002, p. 97.] Zimrilim was forced to flee Mari when his father the king,
Iakhdunlim
Yahdunlim (or ''Yakhdunlim, Yahdun-Lim'') was the king of Mari probably in 1820—1796 BC. He was of Amorite origin, and became king after the death of his father Iagitlim. Yahdunlim built Mari up to become one of the major powers of the region. ...
, was assassinated in a palace coup and
Yasmah-Adad
Yasmah-Adad (Yasmah-Addu, Yasmakh-Adad, Ismah-Adad, Iasmakh-Adad) was the younger son of the Amorite king of Upper Mesopotamia, Shamshi-Adad I. He was put on throne of Mari by his father after a successful military attack following the assassinati ...
usurped the throne. Zimrilim allied himself with Yarimlim of Yamhad who helped him regain his throne in Mari and their alliance was cemented with the marriage of Zimrilim to Shibtu. Zimrilim and Shibtu's offspring included at least seven daughters. One of them was appointed as the mayor of a nearby town.
[Smith, Entry: West Asia] Several of their daughters went on to marry into other royal families from the
ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, southeast Turkey, southwest Iran and northeastern Syria), ancient Egypt, ancient Iran ( Elam, ...
, including Ibbatum, who married Himidiya, the king of Andarik, and Inib-Sharri who married Ibal-Addu, ruler of Ashlakka.
[
]
Queen of Mari
Shibtu enjoyed extensive administrative powers as queen. During Zimrilim's absence, Shibtu handled the administration of the city, the royal palace
This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent.
Africa
* Abdin Palace, Cairo
* Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo
* Koubbeh Palace, Cairo
* Tahra Palace, Cairo
* Menelik Palace
* Jubilee Palace
* Guenete Leul Palace
* Imperial Palace- Massa ...
and the temple. The tablets found at Mari reveal regular correspondence between Shibtu and her husband in his absence. The letters were mostly administrative in nature, including reports on the state of the city and military and intelligence briefings. Personal letters were also exchanged, including one notifying the king of her giving birth to a boy and girl twins.[ Shibtu's letters reflected deep affection for her husband and concern over his health and wellbeing during his campaigns. Zimrilim, likewise, sent letters back updating her on his battles and whereabouts, and instructing her on the running of the city.][Dalley, 2002, p. 98.] In one of her letters, Shibtu informs Zimrilim, upon his request, on the oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
's prophecy that the Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
ian attack against Mari would end in failure. The prophecy, however, was wrong and the Babylonians under Hammurabi
Hammurabi (Akkadian: ; ) was the sixth Amorite king of the Old Babylonian Empire, reigning from to BC. He was preceded by his father, Sin-Muballit, who abdicated due to failing health. During his reign, he conquered Elam and the city-states ...
sacked Mari in 1761 BC.[
In addition to her political roles, Shibtu managed and supervised her large household and the industries of the palace workshops.]
Political agency and wealth
According to Sabloff, Shibtu was “second-in-command” and followed behind her husband. As she would usually represent Zimrilim, she would make official visits and travel around the kingdom on his behalf. Whilst he entrusted Shibtu with kingdom and palace affairs, the governing council was mostly consulted for major decisions. Historian accounts reflect upon the potential power the principal wives such as Shibtu has on the policies. In her case, some historian accounts suggest she is acknowledged as a woman with visions and dreams of political ambitions. Furthermore, when Zimrilim’s mother died, Shibtu was authorized to administer reserves of precious materials such as metal and wool. Shibtu also received continuous gifts from her father amongst others.
References
Citations
Bibliography
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{{Authority control
18th-century BC women rulers
Ancient queens consort
Mari, Syria
Year of birth unknown
18th-century BC deaths
Ancient Mesopotamian women
Yamhad dynasty
18th-century BC people