Ashur-dan I

Few inscriptions have been recovered for this king although he is mentioned in two of those of his descendant Tukultī-apil-Ešarra.{{ cite book | title = Assyrian and Babylonian chronicles | author = A. K. Grayson | publisher = J. J. Augustin | year = 1975 | pages = 209–210 }} One of these inscriptions mentions his demolition of the dilapidated temple of An and Adad, originally built by Išme-Dāgan II 641 years earlier. It was not to be reconstructed until 60 years later by Tukultī-apil-Ešarra, who also names him in his genealogy.{{ cite book | title = Readings from the ancient Near East: primary sources for Old Testament study | author = Bill T. Arnold, Bryan Beyer | publisher = Baker Academic | year = 2002 | page = 143 }} A dedication for the king appears on a bronze statue votive offering2 kg bronze statue found at Lake Urmia and now in the Louvre. to the Egašankalamma, temple of Ištar in Arbail, offered by Šamši-Bēl, a scribe.

A partial reconstruction of the sequence of limmus, the Assyrian Eponym dating system, has been proposed influenced by a letterVAT 20937, MARV 6,2. which provides the initial sequence of Pišqiya, the official during whose reign his predecessor died, Aššur-dān (the king), Atamar-den-Aššur, Aššur-bel-lite, and Adad-mušabši.{{ cite journal | title = MARV 6, 2 und die Eponymenfolgen des 12. Jahrhunderts | author = Jaume Llop | journal = Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie | volume = 98 | issue = 1 | date = June 2008 | pages = 20–25 | doi=10.1515/za-2008-0003| s2cid = 161217436 }} A harem edict or palace decree was issued giving the penalties for misdemeanors of maidservants, where the first offence is punishable with a beating thirty times with rods by her mistress.

During the twilight years of the Kassite dynasty, the Synchronistic HistorySynchronistic History, ii 9–12. records that he seized the cities of Zaban, Irriya, Ugar-sallu and a fourth town name not preserved, plundering them and “taking their vast booty to Assyria.” A fragmentary clay tabletTablet K. 2667. usually assigned to this king lists his military conquests over “[…]yash and the land of Irriya, the land of the Suhu, the kings of the land Shadani, […y]aeni, king of the land Shelini.”{{ cite book | title = Assyrian Royal Inscriptions, Volume 1 | author = A. K. Grayson | publisher = Otto Harrassowitz | year = 1972 | pages = 141–143 }}

Fresh from their conquest of the Babylonians, it seems the Elamite hordes overwhelmed the Assyrian city of Arraphe, which was not recovered until late in Aššur-dān’s reign.

Two sons of Aššur-dān were to contest the throne after his death, Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur ruling for less than a year before being overthrown and forced to flee by his brother Mutakkil-Nusku. A civil war continued where Mutakkil-Nusku controlled the Assyrian heartland, while Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur has support in the provinces.

{{Reflist}}

{{S-start}}

{{Succession box

| title = King of Assyria

| before = Ninurta-apal-Ekur

| after = Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur

| years = 1178–1133 BC

}}

{{s-end}}

{{Assyrian kings}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashur-Dan 01}}

Category:12th-century BC Assyrian kings