| Shalim-ahum | |
|---|---|
| Išši’ak Aššur | |
| Reign | 20th century BC |
| Predecessor | Puzur-Ashur I |
| Successor | Ilu-shuma |
| Born | 1950 BCE |
| Died | Unknown |
| Father | Puzur-Ashur I |
| Occupation | sovereign |
Shalim-ahum orŠalim-ahum was a ruler of the city-state ofAssur in the 20th century BC. TheAssyrian King List records his name asŠallim-aḫḫe, inscribedšal-lim-PABMEŠ, meaning, “keep the brothers safe”, and he appears among the six kings “whoseeponyms are not found”,[1] meaning that the length of his reign was unknown. He was described as the son ofPuzur-Ashur I (dumu Puzu Assur) in his only known inscription.[2] He is the earliest independent ruler to be attested in a contemporary inscription.[3] Carved in curious archaic character mirror-writing in Old Assyrian on an alabaster block found during the German excavations at Assur underWalter Andrae, this sole exemplar of his contemporary inscriptions records that the godAshur “requested of him” the construction of a temple and that he had “beer vats and storage area” built in the “temple area”.[4]: 6–7 [5]
He ruled during a period whennascent Assyrian merchant companies in karums were branching out intoAnatolia to trade textiles and tin from Assur for silver.[3] He was succeeded by his son,Ilu-shuma, as recorded in his brick and limestone inscriptions[4]: 7–8 and he appears in the genealogy of his grandson,Erishum I.[4]: 12, 15 His name appears in an inscription ofAdad-nirari I and one ofShalmaneser I but only in the context of references to his son, Ilu-shuma.[4]: 68, 91 Shalim-ahum and his successors bore the titleišši’ak Aššur, vice regent of Assur, as well asensí.[6]
| Preceded by | Išši’ak Aššur 20th century BC | Succeeded by |