Untash-Napirisha was king of Elam (in present-day southwest Iran) during the Middle Elamite period, circa 1300 BCE. He was the son of the previous Elamite king,

Humban-Numena Humban-Numena (or Kumban-Numena) was a king of Elam from the Igihalkid dynasty ( Middle Elamite Period, mid-14th century BCE). He was a son and successor of King Attar-kittah, as it is attested in his inscriptions from temples in Liyan and in Susa. ...

. He was named after

Napirisha Napirisha (Linear Elamite: ''Napirriša'') was an Elamite deity from the region of Anshan, and was the main deity of the kingdom from at least the late 3rd millennium BCE. In Elamite, his name means "Great (-''ša'') God (''napir'')"; in cuneifor ...

, an Elamite deity. He founded and built extensively a new city, Dur-Untash, 40 km SE of Susa, modern

Chogha Zanbil Chogha Zanbil ( fa, چغازنبيل; Elamite: Dur Untash) is an ancient Elamite complex in the Khuzestan province of Iran. It is one of the few existing ziggurats outside Mesopotamia. It lies approximately southeast of Susa and north of Ahvaz. ...

. He built extensively in this city, and its main temple, the famous Ziggurat, still stands there. Although construction in this religious city complex abruptly ended after Untash-Napirisha's death, the site was not abandoned, but continued to be occupied until it was destroyed by the Assyrian king

Ashurbanipal Ashurbanipal (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , meaning " Ashur is the creator of the heir") was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 669 BCE to his death in 631. He is generally remembered as the last great king of Assyria. Inheriting the throne as ...

in 640 BC. Untash Napirirsha also left numerous building inscriptions for more than 50 temples and buildings, either built or renovated during his reign, in

, Susa, Choga Gotvand and other places. A later Elamite letter from Berlin

Pergamon Museum The Pergamon Museum (; ) is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. It was built from 1910 to 1930 by order of German Emperor Wilhelm II according to plans by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann in Stripped C ...

(VAT17020) mentions that he was married to “the daughter of Burna-buriash (a Babylonian king) and she bore him a son (and the future Elamite king) Kidin-hudurdish (Hutran)". If this was the Babylonian king

Burna-Buriash II Burna-Buriaš II, rendered in cuneiform as ''Bur-na-'' or ''Bur-ra-Bu-ri-ia-aš'' in royal inscriptions and letters, and meaning ''servant'' or ''protégé of the Lord of the lands'' in the Kassite language, where Buriaš (, dbu-ri-ia-aš₂) is a ...

, then the reign of Untash-Napirisha could be dated ca 1340–1300 BC. However, some scholars consider a different model for the synchronism between Kassite dynasty in Babylone and the Elamite kings, and suggest that the mentioned Burna-buriash was a later prince, and that the reign of Untash-Napirisha could be dated ca. 1275–1240 BC; see, for example The Berlin Letter, Middle Elamite Chronology and Sutruk-Nahhunte I's Genealogy. File:Axe Sb 3973.jpg, Axe bearing the name of the king Untash-Napirisha. File:Untash king Axe.jpg, Axe inscribed with the name of King Untash-Napirisha File:Tchogha_Zanbil.jpg, The Ziggurat at

was built by Untash-Napirisha. Image:Untash Napirisha stele Louvre Sb12.jpg, Fish-tailed deity holding snakes. Stele of Untash Napirisha, sandstone, ca. 1340–1300 BC, brought from Tchoga Zanbil to Susa in the 12th century BC. File:Plaque with inscription "Palace of Untash-Napirisha" from Choga-Zanbil.jpg, Plaque with inscription "Palace of Untash-Napirisha" from

References

Elamite people 14th-century BC rulers Elamite kings Igihalkid Dynasty {{iran-royal-stub