Niqmaddu II

Text of Law in Akkadian by King Niqmaddu, 14th century BC, with dynastic seal. Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit). Louvre Museum.

Niqmaddu II was the second ruler and king of Ugarit, an ancient Syrian city-state in northwestern Syria (c. 1350–1315 BC) and succeeding his father, Ammittamru I.[1][2] He was a vassal ruler of Suppiluliuma I of Hatti.

Early Life

Niqmaddu II (Akkadian: 𒃻𒈠𒀭𒅎 Níqmâdâd, "vengeance of Hadad"[3]) took his name from the earlier Amorite ruler Niqmaddu, meaning "Addu has vindicated" to strengthen the supposed Amorite origins of his Ugaritic dynasty.[4]

Reign

Though the exact date of his accession to the throne of Ugarit is unknown, he might be a contemporary of both Akhenaten and Tutankhamun[5] the Hittite ruler Shuppiluliuma I, and was a vassal of the latter.[4] He had good relations with Egypt, and conceded to the Amorites in a dispute over the Shiyannu region early in his reign.[1] He commissioned the Baal cycle about the god Haddu/Ba'al, and had a son, Niqmepa.[4]

Hittite vassalage

In the Hittite Archives there are four letters from the time of Suppiluliuma regarding Ugarit.

• CTH 45[6] Letter of Šuppiluliuma I to Niqmaddu II of Ugarit
• CTH 46 Treaty of Šuppiluliuma I with Niqmaddu II of Ugarit
• CTH 47 Decree of Šuppiluliuma I setting the tribute of Ugarit (.I Akkadian, .II Hittite)
• CTH 48 Inventory of the tribute of Ugarit to Šuppiluliuma I

In EA 49 (EA = El Amarna), Niqmaddu II apparently requested an Egyptian physician and two palace attendants from "Cush", the Egyptian envoy to Ugarit.[5]

He is identified in Syrian on an alabaster vase along with a woman in Egyptian court dress,[7] however, the name of the woman in the vase, if ever indicated, is not preserved[5] and is mentioned in the Baal cycle as King nqmd.[4] He was succeeded briefly by Ar-Halba.

References

1. Kuhrt, Amélie (1997). The ancient Near East, c. 3000-330 BC. Vol. 1. Routledge. p. 306. ISBN 0-415-16763-9.
2. Feldman, Marian H. (2006). Diplomacy by design: luxury arts and an "international style" in the ancient Near East, 1400-1200 BCE. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-24044-4.
3. Hess, Richard S. (1993). Amarna Personal Names. Eisenbrauns. p. 119. ISBN 0931464714.
4. Smith, Mark S. (1994). The Ugaritic Baal cycle. Vol. 55. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-09995-6.
5. Watson, Wilfred (1999). Handbook of Ugaritic Studies. BRILL. p. 624. ISBN 9789004109889.
6. Altman, A. (1983). Rs 17.132. A Letter Sent by Šuppiluliuma I King of Hatti to Niqmaddu II, King of Ugarit and its Historical and Juridical Significance
7. Feldman, Marian H. (2002). "Ambiguous Identities: The -Marriage- Vase of Niqmaddu II and the Elusive Egyptian Princess". Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology. 15 (1). Equinox Publishing Ltd. doi:10.1558/jmea.v15i1.75. ISSN 1743-1700. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.

Preceded by Ammittamru I

King of Ugarit

Succeeded by Ar-Halba