Abba-El I

Abba-El I
Great King of Yamhad
Reign c.1750 BC – c.1720 BC. Middle chronology
Predecessor Hammurabi I
Successor Yarim-Lim II

Abba-El I (reigned c.1750 BC – c.1720 BC - Middle chronology ) was the king of Yamhad (Halab) succeeding his father Hammurabi I.[1]

Reign

Hammurabi I left Yamhad a prosperous country, Abba-El reign was relatively peaceful and he maintained good commercial relations with Babylon,[2] the main event of his reign was the rebellion of Zitraddu, governor of the city Irridu which belonged along with its district to Abba-el brother Yarim-Lim

A tablet discovered at Alalakh explains the circumstances which led to the forming of the kingdom of Alalakh; it revealed that Abba-El destroyed Irridu and compensated his brother by giving him Alalakh as a hereditary kingdom for his dynasty under the suzerainty of Aleppo but that it should be forfeited if Yarim-Lim or his descendents committed treason against Yamhad.

Abba-El took an oath upon himself not to confiscate his brother's new kingdom and that he might be cursed if he ever did.[3] In return Yarim-Lim took an oath of loyalty to his brother specifying that if he or his descendents ever committed treason or spilled Abba-El secrets to another king, their lands would be forfeited.[4]

The Hurrians influence seems clear during Abba-El's reign as he recalls the help given to him by the Hurrian Goddess Hebat.[5]

Death and Ancestors

Abba-El died in ca. 1720 BC and was succeeded by Yarim-Lim II, who most probably was his son, however Moshe Weinfeld believes that Yarim-Lim II was the same Yarim-Lim of Alalakh.[6]

King Abba-El I of Yamhad (Halab)
Died: 1720 BC
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Hammurabi I
Great King of Yamhad
1750 – 1720 BC
Succeeded by
Yarim-Lim II

References

Citations

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