Sarra-El

Sarra-El also written Šarran (reigned Early 16th century BC - Middle chronology) was a prince of Yamhad who might have regained the throne after the assassination of the Hittite king Mursili I.[1]

Sarra-El
King of Halab (Yamhad)
ReignEarly 16th century BC
Predecessorinterregnum
former king of Halab was : Hammurabi III
SuccessorAbba-El II

Identity and Relation to the Royal Family

Sarra-El is known through the Seal of his son Abba-El II used by Niqmepa king of Alalakh as a dynastic seal.[2] The seal describes Abba-El II as the beloved of Hadad, the title used by the kings of Yamhad,[3] Niqmepa was the son of Idrimi who was a descendant of the old Kings of Yamhad,[4][5] Idrimi's father Ilim-Ilimma I was probably the son of Abba-El II.[6]

These facts confirms that Sarra-El was a prince of Yamhad,[7] Sarra-El name is also mentioned in two Alalakh Tablets (AlT 79 and AlT 95), in the later tablet his name came after the name of princess Bintikidiya and prince Hammurabi the heir of Alalakh. This indicates the royal status of Sarra-El, which led prof. Michael C. Astour to believe that Sarra-EL is the probable son of Yarim-Lim III.[7]

Reign

Idrimi's and Niqmepa's inscriptions indicate that Sarra-El was a prince of Yamhad but he is not confirmed as a king. Prof. Trevor R. Bryce believes him to be the king who restored the royal family of Yamhad,[8] others such as Astour and prof. Eva Von Dassow attribute this to his son Abba-El II.[7][9]

Aleppo was rebuilt and became the capital again soon after the assassination of Mursili I,[1] but the name Yamhad went out of use, and the monarch's title became the King of Halab.[10]

Mursili died around ca. 1590 BC Middle chronology,[11][12][13] and the restoration happened not very long after his death,[1] which would put Sarra-El's reign (if he was a king) in the first quarter of the 16th century BC

Successor and the Kingdom of Halab

The date of Sarra-El's death is not known. Abba-El II is confirmed as Sarra-El's son and successor through his royal seal. In the next decades Aleppo regained Niya, Mukis (Alalakh region)[14] and Ama'u.[1]

Sarra-El of Halab
Regnal titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Hammurabi III as King of Yamhad		 King of Halab (Yamhad) Succeeded by
Abba-El II

References

Citations
  1. Trevor Bryce. The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia. p. 27.
  2. Eva Von Dassow. State and society in the late Bronze Age. p. 18.
  3. Dominique Collon. First impressions: cylinder seals in the ancient Near East. p. 119.
  4. Dominique Collon. Ancient Near Eastern Art. p. 109.
  5. Fondation assyriologique Georges Dossin. Akkadica, Nummers 71-80. p. 20.
  6. Michael C. Astour. Hittite history and absolute chronology of the Bronze Age. p. 19.
  7. Michael C. Astour. Orientalia: Vol. 38. p. 382.
  8. Trevor Bryce. The Kingdom of the Hittites. p. 126.
  9. Eva Von Dassow. State and society in the late Bronze Age. p. 18.
  10. Michael C. Astour. Orientalia: Vol. 38. p. 384.
  11. Trevor Bryce. Hittite Warrior. p. 6.
  12. Barbette Stanley Spaeth. The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Mediterranean Religions. p. 110.
  13. Thomas Harrison. The Great Empires of the Ancient World. p. 46.
  14. Cyrus Herzl Gordon; Gary Rendsburg; Nathan H. Winter. Eblaitica: Essays on the Ebla Archives and Eblaite Language, Volume 4. p. 104.
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