Stone tablet for the dedication of a temple, inscribed by Il, king of Umma, c. 2400 BCE, and mentioning his father Eandamu (𒂍𒀭𒁕𒊬), and his grandfather King
Enakalle (𒂗𒀉𒆗𒇷). Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago
Il (
Sumerian: 𒅍, IL) was king (𒈗, Lugal) of the
Sumerian city-state of
Umma, circa 2400 BCE.[1] His father was Eandamu, and his grandfather was King
Enakalle, who had been vanquished by
Eannatum of
Lagash.[1] Il was successor to
Ur-Lumma. According to an inscription, before becoming king, he had been temple administrator in
Zabalam: "At this time, Il, who was the temple administrator of Zabalam, marched in retreat from Girsu to Umma and took the governorship of Umma for himself."[2] He ruled for at least 14 years.[3]
He entered in a territorial conflict with
Enmetena, ruler of Lagash, as mentioned in an inscription:[3]
"He (Il) diverted water from the boundary-channel of Ningirsu and the boundary-channel of Nanshe (...). When because of those channels,
Enmetena, the governor of Lagash, sent envoys to Il, Il, the governor of Umma, who steals fields (and) speaks evil, declared:
‘The boundary-channel of Ningirsu (and) the boundary-channel of Nanshe are mine! I will shift the boundary-levee from Antasura to Edimgalabzu!’ But
Enlil (and)
Ninhursang did not give it to him."[3]
Il later fought against
Enannatum II, king of
Lagash and successor to Enmetena, and vanquished him, ending the Lagash dynasty founded by
Ur-Nanshe.[1][5]
Name of "King Il" on his tablet (
𒈗 being the character for
Lugal, "King"), and corresponding standard Sumero-Akkadian
cuneiform
Votive plate of Queen
Bara-irnum of Umma, "wife of Gishakidu, king of Umma, daughter of
Ur-Lumma, king of Umma, grand-daughter of
Enakalle, king of Umma, daughter-in-law of Il, king of Umma", to God
Shara, in gratitude for sparing her life.[7][8]
"King Il" (𒅍
𒈗, Il
lugal) on the votive plate of Queen
Bara-irnun
References
^
abcVan De Mieroop, Marc (2004). A History of the Ancient Near East: Ca. 3000-323 BC. Wiley. pp. 50–51.
ISBN9780631225522.
Stone tablet for the dedication of a temple, inscribed by Il, king of Umma, c. 2400 BCE, and mentioning his father Eandamu (𒂍𒀭𒁕𒊬), and his grandfather King
Enakalle (𒂗𒀉𒆗𒇷). Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago
Il (
Sumerian: 𒅍, IL) was king (𒈗, Lugal) of the
Sumerian city-state of
Umma, circa 2400 BCE.[1] His father was Eandamu, and his grandfather was King
Enakalle, who had been vanquished by
Eannatum of
Lagash.[1] Il was successor to
Ur-Lumma. According to an inscription, before becoming king, he had been temple administrator in
Zabalam: "At this time, Il, who was the temple administrator of Zabalam, marched in retreat from Girsu to Umma and took the governorship of Umma for himself."[2] He ruled for at least 14 years.[3]
He entered in a territorial conflict with
Enmetena, ruler of Lagash, as mentioned in an inscription:[3]
"He (Il) diverted water from the boundary-channel of Ningirsu and the boundary-channel of Nanshe (...). When because of those channels,
Enmetena, the governor of Lagash, sent envoys to Il, Il, the governor of Umma, who steals fields (and) speaks evil, declared:
‘The boundary-channel of Ningirsu (and) the boundary-channel of Nanshe are mine! I will shift the boundary-levee from Antasura to Edimgalabzu!’ But
Enlil (and)
Ninhursang did not give it to him."[3]
Il later fought against
Enannatum II, king of
Lagash and successor to Enmetena, and vanquished him, ending the Lagash dynasty founded by
Ur-Nanshe.[1][5]
Name of "King Il" on his tablet (
𒈗 being the character for
Lugal, "King"), and corresponding standard Sumero-Akkadian
cuneiform
Votive plate of Queen
Bara-irnum of Umma, "wife of Gishakidu, king of Umma, daughter of
Ur-Lumma, king of Umma, grand-daughter of
Enakalle, king of Umma, daughter-in-law of Il, king of Umma", to God
Shara, in gratitude for sparing her life.[7][8]
"King Il" (𒅍
𒈗, Il
lugal) on the votive plate of Queen
Bara-irnun
References
^
abcVan De Mieroop, Marc (2004). A History of the Ancient Near East: Ca. 3000-323 BC. Wiley. pp. 50–51.
ISBN9780631225522.