Apum was an ancient
Amorite kingdom located in the upper
Khabur valley, modern northeastern
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. It was involved in the political and military struggle that dominated the first half of the 18th century BC and led to the establishment of the
Babylonian Empire. Apum was incorporated into Babylon in 1728 BC and disappeared from the records.
History
The majority of the kingdom inhabitants were Amorites. Originally, Apum was a small city perhaps located in the vicinity of modern-day
Qamishli. The kingdom was attested for the first time in the
Archives of Mari (c. 1774 BC).
At the time of its attestation, Apum was already in control of the old
Assyrian capital
Shubat-Enlil which became Apum's capital.
In 1771 BC, Apum received a warning from Mari's monarch
Zimri-Lim
__NOTOC__
Zimri-Lim was in the Middle Bronze Age the king of Mari, Syria, Mari (c. 1767–1752 BCE; low chronology).
Background Family
Zimri-Lim (Akkadian language, Akkadian: ''Zi-im-ri Li-im'') was the son or grandson of king Yahdun-Lim of Ma ...
regarding an
Eshnunnite attack, however, the Apumites were unable to resist and their capital was occupied by the invading force.
Following the Eshnunnite main force departure, Apum's king
Zuzu became a vassal to Eshnnuna and was entrusted in commanding the Eshnunnite garrison.
Soon after, Apum was attacked by the neighboring kingdom of
Qattara who occupied the capital,
but was evicted by the Eshnunnites. Afterwards, Apum was overrun by an
Elamite invasion led by a general named
Kunnam, who shared the power with the Apumite king
Haya-Abum, who was a vassal of Mari.
The Elamites left in 1765 BC,
and the capital of Apum was invaded by the kingdom of
Andarig.
However, it is certain that by 1750 BC, Apum's dynasty was in firm control over its capital,
after an alliance with the kingdom of
Kurda that drove the Andarigites out.
Apum came to an end after the invasion of the
Babylonia
Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...
n king
Samsu-Iluna in 1728 BC.
In a letter to Mari (in
Zimri-Lim
__NOTOC__
Zimri-Lim was in the Middle Bronze Age the king of Mari, Syria, Mari (c. 1767–1752 BCE; low chronology).
Background Family
Zimri-Lim (Akkadian language, Akkadian: ''Zi-im-ri Li-im'') was the son or grandson of king Yahdun-Lim of Ma ...
year 4) it is reported that Turum-Natki, the ruler of Apum had died, and that Qarni-Lim, ruler of
Andarig had installed the son of Turum-Natki in that office.
Rulers
See also
*
Amorite language
*
Hurrians
References
Citations
{{reflist, 2
Further reading
*Charpin, Dominique, "Tell Mohammed Diyab, une ville du Pays d’Apum", in L. Bachelot (ed.), Tell Mohammed Diyab: Campagnes 1987 et 1988, Cahiers de NABU 1. Paris: SEPOA, pp. 117–22, 1990
*Eidem, Jesper, "Apum, A Kingdom on the Old Assyrian Route", in Markus Wäfler (ed.), Meso-potamia: The Old Assyrian Period. OBO 160/5. Fribourg: University Press, pp. 265–382, 2008
*Pitard, Wayne T., "Is the area of Apum-Damascus mentioned in the Mari Archives?", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 264.1, pp. 73-77, 1986
Ancient Near East
Ancient Syria
History of Kurdistan
Amorite cities
Former kingdoms