People > Sin-Muballit

Sin-Muballit

Background

Sin-Muballit was an Amorite king of Babylonia of the First Dynasty of Babylon between 1748 BC and 1729 BC and the father of the famous Hammurabi. Under his reign the civilization of Babylonia was hardly considered anything other than the territory around the city of Babylon. Under the reign of Sin-Muballit the civilization of Babylonia could be considered a city-state or a kingdom. He succeeded his father Apil-Sin and not much is known about either of them due to the lack of discovered inscriptions.

One major event of significance was during the 13th year of his reign the army of the city of Ur attempted to invade Babylon but was unsuccessful due to Sin-Muballit. During the 17th year of his reign Babylon was able to conquer the neighboring city of Isin. Archaeological evidence corroborates the increase in Babylonian power during this period because there was an increased period of construction including buildings and fortifications. All of this thus began the foundation that would benefit Hammurabi during his reign to help create the first and short lived Babylonian Empire.

Chronologies

Scholars are in some disagreement about the dating of the first dynasty of Babylon and thus there are a few different timelines that are used to determine dates throughout ancient history in Mesopotamia. Currently there are three major accepted timelines known as the Short Chronology, the Middle Chronology, and the Long Chronology. Two other ones exist known as the Ultra-Short Chronology and the Ultra-Long Chronology but they are used slightly less often. The Short Chronology is the one most used by scholars and academics but before this the Middle Chronology was much preferred.

The Middle Chronology places all of the events of the ancient world about 64 years before they occur during the Short Chronology which is what we use throughout the website. If you want to see a timeline of the ancient world according to the Middle Chronology, can click here to view that. The Long Chronology puts all of the events about 120 years before the dates of the Short Chronology and a timeline for the Long Chronology can be viewed here as well.

First Dynasty of Babylon

Sources

References[edit]Jump up ^ A history of Babylonia and Assyria, Volume 1, Robert William Rogers, Eaton & Mains, 1900. pp. 387-388.Jump up ^ Old Babylonian period (1894-1595 BC), Douglas Frayne, University of Toronto Press, 1990. p. 330-331.Jump up ^ Babylonian legal and business documents: from the time of the first dynasty of Babylon, chiefly from Nippur, Arno Poebel, Dept. of Archaeology, University of Pennsylvania, 1909. p. 113.Preceded byApil-SinKings of Babylonca. 1748–1729 BC(short chronology)Succeeded byHammurabi

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources