Ammī-ditānaDouglas Frayne, The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia: Early Periods, vol. 4: Old Babylonian Period (2003–1595 BC) Toronto, 1990: 411. was a king of Babylon who reigned 1683–1647 BC (according to the Middle Chronology;C. B. F. Walker, "Mesopotamian Chronology," in: Dominique Collon, Ancient Near Eastern Art, Berkeley, 1995: 235. or 1675–1639 BC according to the Lower Middle ChronologyT. De Jong and "A New Look at the Venus Observations of Ammisaduqa," Jaarbericht Ex Oriente Luxe 42 (2010) 141–157.). He was the son and successor of Abī-ešuḫ.Douglas Frayne, The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia: Early Periods, vol. 4: Old Babylonian Period (2003–1595 BC) Toronto, 1990: 411.
Year-names survive for the first 37 years of his reign, plus fragments for a few possible additional years. His reign was a largely peaceful one; he was primarily engaged in enriching and enlarging the temples, and a few other building projects, although in his 37th regnal year he recorded having destroyed the city wall of Der, built earlier by King Dāmiq-ilišu of Isin.Year-names for Ammi-ditana
Ammī-ditāna was succeeded by his eldest son Ammī-ṣaduqa.Douglas Frayne, The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia: Early Periods, vol. 4: Old Babylonian Period (2003–1595 BC) Toronto, 1990: 425; Lukáš Pecha, The Material and Ideological Base of the Old Babylonian State, Lanham, MD, 2018: 227.
Family The wife of Ammī-ditāna and mother of his successor was possibly named Šamuḫtum.Lukáš Pecha, The Material and Ideological Base of the Old Babylonian State, Lanham, MD, 2018: 218–219; but as noted by Rients de Boer, "The Members of the Royal House of Old Babylonian Babylon," Isin (2021/2) 27–43: 33, the king's mother Šamuḫtum is not explicitly associated with any named king. At least three children of the king are attested: Ammī-ṣaduqa, the eldest son and his father’s successor (possibly by Šamuḫtum)Douglas Frayne, The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia: Early Periods, vol. 4: Old Babylonian Period (2003–1595 BC) Toronto, 1990: 426; Lukáš Pecha, The Material and Ideological Base of the Old Babylonian State, Lanham, MD, 2018: 218–219. Šumum-libšiLukáš Pecha, The Material and Ideological Base of the Old Babylonian State, Lanham, MD, 2018: 218–219. Unnamed female, married at the behest of her brother Šumum-libšiLukáš Pecha, The Material and Ideological Base of the Old Babylonian State, Lanham, MD, 2018: 218–219. Iltani, devotee (nadītum) of Šamaš, a possible daughterRients de Boer, "The Members of the Royal House of Old Babylonian Babylon," Isin (2021/2) 27–43: 30, 31, 35, 37. Elmēšum, a possible daughterRients de Boer, "The Members of the Royal House of Old Babylonian Babylon," Isin (2021/2) 27–43: 31, 37. Annabum, a possible daughterRients de Boer, "The Members of the Royal House of Old Babylonian Babylon," Isin (2021/2) 27–43: 31, 37.
Literature Ammī-ditāna is known for his association with literary works. One work is called Ammī-ditāna's hymn to Ištar.Dominique Charpin, Dietz Otto Edzard, and Marten Stol, Mesopotamien: Die altbabylonische Zeit Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 160/4. Fribourg, 2004: 510–514. Another work is Di 1353, a letter to chief lamentation priest of Annunītum on the provision of fodder barley for livestock in Nakkamtum.
References