Aplahanda

Aplahanda was a king of Carchemish proposed to have reigned between 1786 and 1766 BCE,^[1] during the Middle Bronze IIA.

Attestations

He was first known from a cylinder seal translated by Rene Dussaud in 1929. The seal was found at the base of the mound of Ugarit before excavations began.^[2]^[3]

At least 6 seals naming Aplahanda have been published. They are skilfully produced, and show mostly Babylonian influence, although some Syrian and Egyptian motifs are also present.^[3]

He is also found mentioned in the Mari tablets, reigning at the same time as Yasmah-Addu and Zimri-Lim, by whom he is addressed as a brother. His name was suggested to be Amorite by I. J. Gelb and the hypothesis of a Semitic origin was supported by Wilfred G. Lambert.^[4]^[3]

At Acemhöyük (Anatolia), the Sarıkaya Palace yielded two bullea mentions Aplahanda.^[5]

Reign

He was allied with Shamshi-Adad (1809/1808-1776/1775 BC) in a war against Sumu-Epuh of Aleppo (Yamhad) that was unsuccessful.^[1] He was contemporary with king Hammurabi of Babylon (1792-1750 BC).

Death

He is known to have died in 1766 based on a letter of Ishtaran-Nasir.^[3]^[1]^[6] Aplahanda was succeeded by his son, Yatar-Ami, who ruled for only two years.

His daughter called Matrunna is also known; she had a non-Semitic, possibly Hurrian name. His other son was Yahdul-Lim.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c W. J. Hamblin (12 April 2006). Warfare in Ancient Near East. Taylor & Francis. pp. 267–. ISBN 978-0-415-25588-2.
^ Charles Virolleaud, "Les Inscriptions Cunéiformes de Ras Shamra", Syria, vol. 10, pp. 304–310, 1929; Claude F. A. Schaeffer, The Cuneiform Texts of Ras Shamra-Ugarit, 1939.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Karel Van Lerberghe; Gabriela Voet (1999). "Collon, D. 1999: "Seals naming Aplahanda of Carchemish." pp. 49-59.". Languages and Cultures in Contact: At the Crossroads of Civilizations in the Syro-Mesopotamian Realm ; Proceedings of the 42th RAI (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 96. Peeters Publishers. pp. 49–. ISBN 978-90-429-0719-5.
^ Gelb, I. J., Computer-aided Analysis of Amorite, AS 21, Chicago, 1980.
^ Manning SW, Griggs CB, Lorentzen B, Barjamovic G, Ramsey CB, Kromer B, Wild EM. Integrated Tree-Ring-Radiocarbon High-Resolution Timeframe to Resolve Earlier Second Millennium BCE Mesopotamian Chronology. PLoS One. 2016 Jul 13;11(7):e0157144. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157144. PMID 27409585; PMCID: PMC4943651.
^ Horst Klengel (1992). Syria, 3000 to 300 B.C.: a handbook of political history. Akademie Verlag. ISBN 978-3-05-001820-1.

Preceded by Adni-anda?	King of Carchemish 1786-1766 BC	Succeeded by Yatar-Ami

[Hamblin2006-1] W. J. Hamblin (12 April 2006). Warfare in Ancient Near East. Taylor & Francis. pp. 267–. ISBN 978-0-415-25588-2.

[2] Charles Virolleaud, "Les Inscriptions Cunéiformes de Ras Shamra", Syria, vol. 10, pp. 304–310, 1929; Claude F. A. Schaeffer, The Cuneiform Texts of Ras Shamra-Ugarit, 1939.

[LerbergheVoet1999-3] Karel Van Lerberghe; Gabriela Voet (1999). "Collon, D. 1999: "Seals naming Aplahanda of Carchemish." pp. 49-59.". Languages and Cultures in Contact: At the Crossroads of Civilizations in the Syro-Mesopotamian Realm ; Proceedings of the 42th RAI (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 96. Peeters Publishers. pp. 49–. ISBN 978-90-429-0719-5.

[4] Gelb, I. J., Computer-aided Analysis of Amorite, AS 21, Chicago, 1980.

[5] Manning SW, Griggs CB, Lorentzen B, Barjamovic G, Ramsey CB, Kromer B, Wild EM. Integrated Tree-Ring-Radiocarbon High-Resolution Timeframe to Resolve Earlier Second Millennium BCE Mesopotamian Chronology. PLoS One. 2016 Jul 13;11(7):e0157144. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157144. PMID 27409585; PMCID: PMC4943651.

[Klengel1992-6] Horst Klengel (1992). Syria, 3000 to 300 B.C.: a handbook of political history. Akademie Verlag. ISBN 978-3-05-001820-1.

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