Babylonia 689-627 B.C.: A Political History.

• Author: Dandamayev, M.A.

The volume under review presents a history of Babylonia from 689 to 627, a period when the country was disunited and subject to Assyria. The book consists of nine chapters, five of which contain a very detailed reconstruction of political events. The remaining four chapters are devoted to sources, chronology, the population of Babylonia, and relations between Babylonia, Assyria, and Elam (it would have been reasonable to dwell here briefly also on relations between Assyria, Media, and Urartu). Finally, the book contains six appendices, including studies on Babylonian economic documents and officials, as well as on the identification of Ashurbanipal as Kandalanu. Frame makes use of published and unpublished texts alike, as well as of archaeological evidence, including reliefs.

Let us summarize the major political events of the period under discussion. From its capture in 729 by the Assyrians until 689, Babylonia retained the status of a separate kingdom within the Assyrian Empire. In 689, after a rebellion of the Babylonians, the Assyrian king Sennacherib ordered the destruction of Babylon, abolished the Babylonian kingdom, and began to reign over Babylonia directly as king of Assyria. In 681, his son Esarhaddon ordered the rebuilding of the city and in 669, not long before his death, restored the separate kingship of Babylonia which was given to Shamash-shum-ukin, one of his sons, under the overlordship of his brother Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria. In effect, Babylonia was a vassal state, and Shamash-shum-ukin's authority over his state was limited to local matters. In 652, he revolted against Assyrian domination and was supported by Akkadians, Chaldeans, Arameans, and nomadic tribes to the west of Mesopotamia, as well as by Elam. However, a number of towns in southern Babylonia and some Chaldeans and Arameans remained loyal to Assyria. In 648, the revolt ended with the death of its leader. According to Frame, the revolt put a great strain on Assyrian resources and marked the beginning of the decline of Assyria. Ashurbanipal installed Kandalanu as vassal king of Babylonia (647-627), but little is known about his rule. It has frequently been suggested that Ashurbanipal himself ruled over Babylonia under the throne name Kandalanu. Frame assumes that they were probably separate individuals, although their identification cannot be totally ruled out.

The following remarks present a few suggestions and additions to particular matters.

Along with...