Urad-Serua Family Eponyms

Babu-aha-iddina<Ibassi-ili<Ili-ipadda was an important official in the reign of Shalmaneser 1 and very early Tukulti-ninurta 1. Babu-aha-iddina was described as “chancellor” by Weidner,[1] often quoted, but there is no proof that Babu-aha-iddina was “chancellor” (or, perhaps more accurately, grand vizier.) Tudhaliya 4 of Hatti wrote to Babu-aha-iddina at the accession of TN1. His activities are attested in archive 14410 (Pederson archive M11). An eponym Babu-aha-iddina occurs at Billa - see discussion there.

15 eponyms occur in this archive covering a period of over 35 years, with 12 already dated according to the above analysis (10 Shalmaneser; 2 very early TN1), and 1 dateable to Adad-nirari 1 through a royal inscription - leaving 2 unplaced eponyms: Ninurta-emuqaya and Ber-sumu-lesir.

Ninurta-emuqaya is later placed in late Adad-nirari 1, since the Melisah eponyms seem to demand one of the few Shalmaneser places somewhat more than strongly than Babu-aha-iddina, who is known to have started in Adad-nirari 1.

The other eponym - Ber-sumu-lesir - is a very important official, who is plausibly attested for over 40 years from mid-Shalmaneser (c1250) to late Tukulti-ninurta 1 (c1210) - as is Babu-aha-iddina himself. There are some pulls towards TN1 for this eponym. Rollig places this eponym prior to Ittabsi-den-assur on unpublished Dur-katlimmu information and this is adopted here with Ber-sumu-lesir going to one of the few available slots in the late Shalmaneser sequence prior to Ellil-asared. Ber-sumu-lesir could be placed in early TN1 with a rollover of one of the late Adad-nirari 1 eponyms into early Shalmaneser.

Assur-eris	A definite Adad-nirari 1 eponym (royal inscription)
Ninurta-emuqaja	Late Adad-nirari 1 or very early Shalmaneser 1
Assur-dammiq<Abi-ili	Shalmaneser 1 (although also a homonym eponym in Adad-nirari 1)
Assur-musabsi< Anu-musallim	Shalmaneser 1
Usat-marduk	Shalmaneser 1
Istar-eris < Sulmanu-qarrad	Shalmaneser 1
Abi-ili <Assur-suma-lesir	Shalmaneser 1
Eribtaju < Abi-ili	Shalmaneser 1
Ber-sumu-lesir	Late Shalmaneser or early Tukulti-ninurta 1: placed in Shalmaneser 1
Ellil-asared	Shalmaneser 1
Ittabsi-den-assur	Shalmaneser 1
Ubru	Shalmaneser 1
Tukulti-ninurta	Tukulti-ninurta 1
Adad-bel-gabbe	Tukulti-ninurta 1
Sunu-qardu	Tukulti-ninurta 1
[1] Described as “chancellor” by Weidner, AfO __, often quoted, but there is no proof that Babu-aha-iddina was “chancellor” or more accurately, grand vizier. Tudhaliya 4 of Hatti wrote to Babu-aha-iddina at the accession of TN1.