| Marduk-bēl-zēri | |
|---|---|
| King of Babylon | |
| Reign | 8th century BC |
| Predecessor | Ninurta-apla-X |
| Successor | Marduk-apla-uṣur |
| House | Dynasty ofE (mixed dynasties) |
Marduk-bēl-zēri, inscribed incuneiform asdAMAR.UTU.EN.NUMUN[i 1][i 2] ormdŠID.EN.[x][i 3] and meaning 'Marduk (is) lord of descendants (lit. seed)',[1] was one of the kings ofBabylon during the turmoil following theAssyrian invasions ofŠamši-Adad V (ca. 824 – 811 BC). He is identified on aSynchronistic King List fragment[i 3] asMarduk-[bēl]-x, which gives his place in the sequence and reigned around the beginning of the 8th century BC. He was a rather obscure monarch and the penultimate predecessor ofErība-Marduk who was to restore order after years of chaos.[2]
He is known from a single economic text[i 1] from the southern city of Udāni dated to his accession year (MU.SAG.NAM.LUGAL). This city was a satellite cultic center toUruk, of uncertain location but possibly nearMarad, later to be known as Udannu, associated with the deitiesdIGI.DU (the two infernalNergals) and Bēlet-Eanna (associated withIštar).[3] The document records the parts of a chariot including the wagon pole (mašaddu) which had been entrusted by Belšunu, thešangû or chief administrator[4] of Udāni to the temple ofdIGI.DU (Igišta, Palil?).[1] He is tentatively restored to theDynastic Chronicle[i 2] where he is described as "a soldier" (lúaga.[úš]) but his circumstances are otherwise unknown.[5]
