King Šamaš-šuma-ukin (r. 668 to 648 BC): Son of King Esarhaddon and Queen Ešarra-ḫammat
King Šamaš-šuma-ukin (r. 668-648 BC) was the son of Assyrian Queen Ešarra-ḫammat and King Esarhaddon (r. 680–669 BC).
He reigned as King of Babylonia, inheriting the throne after his father’s 38-year reign. His twin brother, Ashurbanipal, reigned as king of Assyria (r. 668–626 BC).
His sister, Šērūʾa-ēṭirat is the only one of Esarhaddon's daughters to be known by name. Her mother may have also been Ešarra-ḫammat.
Šērūʾa-ēṭirat married Scythian King Bartatua (r. 679-659 BC). She was likely the mother of his successor King Madyes (r. 659-625 BC), who brought Scythian power in Western Asia to its peak.
She was likely involved in politics, particularly the politics of the south, being mentioned alongside Šamaš-šuma-ukin’s successor, King Kandālan (r. 647-627 BC), and the king of Elam in a letter.
His father, King Esarhaddon of Assyria and Babylonia, built a new palace at Kar-Esar-haddon near Ashur and in southeast Calah. Temples were restored also at Nineveh, Nippur, Babylon, and other cities.
His niece, Queen Adad-Guppi, born to his twin brother King Ashurbanipal and Queen Ashursharrat l, was born in 649 BC in Babylonia.
She was the mother of King Nabonidus (r. 556-539 BC).
King Nabonidus, father of Biblical King Belshazzar, ascended to the throne after overthrowing his predecessor Labashi-Marduk. For long periods, he would entrust rule to his son Belshazzar, a capable soldier but a poor politician who lost the support of the priesthood and the military class.
Around 552 BC, King Nabonidus made the city of Tema his residence and spent ten of the sixteen years of his reign there during the Achaemenid period (550-330 BC), the dynasty ruling in Persia from Cyrus I to Darius II.
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About the Author: Lawrence Jean-Louis is the founder of eBrand Me, a digital marketing agency offering marketing & consultative services to CPAs and tax professionals. She aspires to start a money management firm by 2030.
