The assassination of Yahdun-Lim by his own servants during a palace coup, forced Zimri-Lim to flee to the neighboring Great Kingdom ofYamhad (Halab, Aleppo). Mari was occupied byShamshi-Adad I, the king ofEkallatum, who put his own sonYasmah-Adad on the throne.
Zimri-Lim went into exile underSumu-Epuh of Yamhad, and became the vassal ruler ofAlalakh, unable to claim his rightful heritage to the throne of Mari.
Zimri-Lim ruled Mari for about fifteen years, and campaigned extensively to establish his power in the neighboring areas along theEuphrates and theKhabur valley. He extendedthe royal palace in the city, which was possibly the largest at the time, containing over 260 rooms at the ground level, and certainly the envy of other kings. It was destroyed byHammurabi ofBabylon.[8]
Zimri-Lim's personal life is partly known through tablets preserved in the state archive of Mari. He marriedShibtu, a princess of Yamkhad (Aleppo and surrounding territory), and is known to have had at least eight daughters through various wives. Several of his daughters were married to rulers of local towns, and two others are known to have become priestesses. Correspondence between the king and his daughters provides evidence that Zimri-Lim thought highly of women and considered them competent at making decisions.
He had a tenuous relationship with kingdom ofAndarig, with which he battled and occasionally allied.
He was also active on a wider stage, and for a time (perhaps about 1764 BCE) was allied with Hammurabi in his wars againstElam,Eshnunna, andLarsa.[10] Zimri-Lim lent troops to Hammurabi's campaigns, and although the two kept extensive diplomatic contacts, it appears they never met in person.
After the defeat of Elam, there was no outside force to keep the precarious balance of power between the Kings of Mesopotamia. The alliance between Zimri-Lim and Hammurabi deteriorated after Babylon's conquest of Larsa.[10] In 1762 BCE, Hammurabi conquered and sacked Mari (though it may be that the city had surrendered without a fight), despite the previous alliance. At this time Zimri-Lim disappears from historical view, and is presumed to have been killed.Terqa becomes the new center of theKingdom of Khana.
^Burke, Madeleine (1958). "Un nouveau nom d'annee du regne de Zimri-Lim?".Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale.52 (2):57–59.JSTOR23295698.
^Sasson, J. M. (1998). "The king and I. A Mari king in changing perceptions".Journal of the American Oriental Society.118 (4):453–470.doi:10.2307/604782.hdl:1803/3562.JSTOR604782.
^Charpin, D. (1992). "Les legendes de sceaux de Mari: Nouvelles Données". In Young, Gordon D. (ed.).Mari in Retrospect: Fifty Years of Mari and Mari Studies. Eisenbrauns. pp. 59–76.ISBN978-0-931464-28-7.
^Sasson, Jack M. (December 1984). "Biblical Archaeologist Update: Zimri-Lim Takes the Grand Tour".The Biblical Archaeologist.47 (4):246–251.doi:10.2307/3209907.JSTOR3209907.S2CID165833360.
Burke, Madeleine (1958). "Un nouveau nom d'annee du regne de Zimri-Lim?".Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale.52 (2):57–59.JSTOR23295698.
Charpin, D. (1992). "Les legendes de sceaux de Mari: Nouvelles Données". In Young, Gordon D. (ed.).Mari in Retrospect: Fifty Years of Mari and Mari Studies. Eisenbrauns. pp. 59–76. ISBN 978-0-931464-28-7.
Pappi, Cinzia. "Religion and Politics at the Divine Table: The Cultic Travels of Zimrī-Līm". Organization, Representation, and Symbols of Power in the Ancient Near East: Proceedings of the 54th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale at Würzburg 20–25 Jul, edited by Gernot Wilhelm, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, 2022, pp. 579–590
Heimpel, Wolfgang. "2. Reconstruction of Events during Years 9` to 11` of Zimri-Lim’s Reign". Letters to the King of Mari: A New Translation, with Historical Introduction, Notes, and Commentary, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, 2021, pp. 37–164
Miglio, Adam E.. "ZIMRI-LIM’S CONDUCT OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS". Tribe and State: The Dynamics of International Politics and the Reign of Zimri-Lim, Piscataway, NJ, USA: Gorgias Press, 2014, pp. 109–186
Sasson, J. M. (1972). "Zimri-Lim's March to Victory".Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale.66 (2):177–178.JSTOR23295866.
Sasson, Jack M. (December 1984). "Biblical Archaeologist Update: Zimri-Lim Takes the Grand Tour".The Biblical Archaeologist.47 (4):246–251.doi:10.2307/3209907.JSTOR3209907.S2CID165833360.
Sasson, Jack M. (October 1998). "The King and I a Mari King in Changing Perceptions".Journal of the American Oriental Society.118 (4):453–470.doi:10.2307/604782.hdl:1803/3562.JSTOR604782.
Van de Mieroop, Marc (2005).King Hammurabi of Babylon (Third ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 16–78. ISBN 1-4051-2660-4.
[1] Válek, František, "The Epic of Zimrī-Lîm.", Masters Dissertation, Czech Institute of Egyptology, Univerzita Karlova, Filozofická fakulta, 2022.
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