Ebla 306533 225776134 2008-07-15T10:16:21Z Fg2 70428 Removed from songs category. Subject of article is a city, not a song, even if there is a song of this name (about which I have no info). Undid rev by 62.72.110.11. {{coor title dms|35|47|53|N|36|47|55|E|region:IQ_scale:5000}} {{FixBunching|beg}} {{Ancient Near East portal}} {{FixBunching|mid}} [[Image:Syria2mil.JPG|thumb|right|275px|Map of Syria in the second millennium BC]] {{FixBunching|end}} {{dablink|Ebla is not to be confused with [[Elba]].}} '''Ebla''' ([[Arabic Language|Arabic]]: عبيل، إيبلا, modern '''Tell Mardikh''', [[Syria]]) was an ancient city about 55 km southwest of [[Aleppo]]. It was an important city-state in two periods, first in the late [[3rd millennium BC|third millennium BC]], then again between [[1800 BC|1800]] and [[1650 BC]]. The site is most famous for the archive of about 15,000 [[cuneiform]] tablets found there,<ref>Gordon, Cyrus H. ''Forgotten Scripts: Their Ongoing Discovery and Decipherment'' (Basic Books, New York, 1982) pg. 155 </ref>, dated from around [[2250 BC]], written in the [[Sumerian language]] and in [[Eblaite language|Eblaite]] &mdash; a previously unknown [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] language. ==Discovery and excavation== [[Image:Ebla.jpg|thumb]] In 1964, Italian archaeologists from the [[University of Rome La Sapienza]] under the direction of [[Paolo Matthiae]] began excavating at Tell Mardikh. In 1968 they recovered a statue dedicated to the goddess [[Ishtar]] bearing the name of [[Ibbit-Lim]], a king of Ebla. That identified the city, long known from [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]]ian and [[Akkadian]] inscriptions. In the next decade the team discovered a palace dating ca. 2500 &ndash; 2000 BC. About 15,000 well-preserved [[Cuneiform (script)|cuneiform]] tablets were discovered in the ruins.<ref>An up-to-date account for the layman, written by the head of the archaeological team that uncovered Ebla is Paolo Matthiae, ''The Royal Archives of Ebla'' (Skira) 2007.</ref> About 80% of the tablets are written in Sumerian,<ref>Naveh, Joseph ''Early History of the Alphabet: an Introduction to West Semitic Epigraphy and Palaeography'' (Magnes Press - Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1982) pg. 28</ref> the others in a previously unknown [[Semitic]] language which was called ''[[Eblaite language|Eblaite]]''.<ref>Four volumes of essays on the Ebla archives and the reconstructed Eblaite language were published by the Center for Ebla Research at New York University, as ''Eblaitica''.</ref> Vocabulary lists were found with the tablets, allowing them to be translated. [[Giovanni Pettinato]] and [[Dahood]] believe the Eblaite language is [[West Semitic]], however [[I. J. Gelb]] and others believe it is an [[East Semitic]] dialect, closer to the [[Akkadian language]].<ref>Pettinato, Giovanni ''The Archives of Ebla''; Gelb, I. J. "Thoughts about Ibla: A Preliminary Evaluation" in ''Monographic Journals of the Near East, Syro-Mesopotamian Studies'' 1/1 (May 1977) pp.3-30</ref> Ebla's close link to southern [[Mesopotamia]], where the script had developed, further highlights the links between the [[Sumerian]]s and [[Semitic]] cultures at that time. It now appears that the building housing the tablets was not the palace library, which may yet be uncovered, but an archive of provisions and tribute, law cases and diplomatic and trade contacts, and a scriptorium where apprentices copied texts. The larger tablets had originally been stored on shelves, but had fallen onto the floor when the palace was destroyed. The location where tablets were discovered where they had fallen allowed the excavators to reconstruct their original position on the shelves: it soon appeared that they were originally shelved according to subject. ==Ebla in the third millennium BC== The name "Ebla" means "White Rock", and refers to the limestone outcrop on which the city was built. Although the site shows signs of continuous occupation from before 3000 BC, its power grew and reached its apogee in the second half of the following millennium. Ebla's first apogee was between ca. 2400 and 2240 BC; its name is mentioned in texts from [[Akkad]] from ca. 2300 BC. Most of the Ebla palace tablets, which date from that period, are about economic matters; they provide a good look into the everyday life of the inhabitants, as well as many important insights into the cultural, economic, and political life in northern [[Mesopotamia]] around the middle of the third millennium B.C. The texts are accounts of the state revenues, but they also include royal letters, Sumerian-Eblaite dictionaries, school texts and diplomatic documents, like treaties between Ebla and other towns of the region. Ebla's most powerful king was listed as Ebrium, or [[Ibrium]], who concluded the so-called "Treaty with Ashur", which offered the [[Assyria]]n king [[Tudia]] the use of a trading post officially controlled by Ebla. The fifth and last king of Ebla during this period was Ebrium's son, [[Ibbi-Sipish]], the first to succeed in a dynastic line, thus breaking with the established Eblaite custom of electing its ruler for a fixed term of office, lasting seven years. This absolutism may have contributed to the unrest that was ultimately instrumental in the city's decline. Meantime, however, the reign of Ibbi-Sipish was considered a time of inordinate prosperity, in part because the king was given to frequent travel abroad. It was recorded both in Ebla and Aleppo that he concluded specific treaties with neighboring ''Armi'', as [[Aleppo]] was called at the time. ===Economy=== At that time, Ebla was a major commercial center. Its major commercial rival was [[Mari, Syria|Mari]], and Ebla is suspected in having a hand in Mari's first destruction. The tablets reveal that the city's inhabitants owned about 200,000 head of mixed cattle (sheep, goats, and cows). The city's main articles of trade were probably timber from the nearby mountains (and perhaps from [[Lebanon]]), and textiles (mentioned in Sumerian texts from the city-state of [[Lagash]]). Most of its trade seems to have been directed towards [[Mesopotamia]] (chiefly [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]]), and contacts with [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] are attested by pottery fragments with the names of pharaohs [[Khafra]] and [[Pepi I]]. Handicrafts may also have been a major export: exquisite artifacts have been recovered from the ruins, including wood furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl and composite statues created from different colored stones. The artistic style at Ebla may have influenced the quality work of the Akkadian empire. ===Government=== The form of government is not well known, but the city appears to have been ruled by a merchant aristocracy who elected a king and entrusted the city's defense to paid soldiers. Ibrium and his son Ibbi-Sipish broke with tradition and introduced an absolute monarchy. '''Kings of Ebla''' ([[short chronology]]) {| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse" |- bgcolor="#F6E6AE" ! Ruler !! Reigned !! Comments |- | [[Igrish-Halam]] || ca. 2300 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) || |- | [[Irkab-Damu]] || || Contemporary of [[Iblul-Il]] of [[Mari, Syria|Mari]] |- | [[Ar-Ennum]] or [[Reshi-Ennum]] || || |- | [[Ibrium]] or [[Ebrium]] || || Contemporary of [[Tudiya]] of [[Assyria]] (treaty) |- | [[Ibbi-Sipish]] or [[Ibbi-Zikir]] || || Son of Ibrium |- | [[Dubuhu-Ada]] || || Ebla destroyed by [[Naram-Sin]] or [[Sargon]] of [[Akkad]] |- |} ===Religion=== Some well-known Semitic deities appear at Ebla ([[Dagan]], [[Ishtar]], [[Resheph]], [[Kanish]], [[Hadad]]), and some otherwise unknown ones ([[Kura]], [[Nidakul]]), plus a few Sumerian gods ([[Enki]] and [[Ninki]]) and [[Hurrians|Hurrian]] gods ([[Ashtapi]], [[Hebat]], [[Ishara]]).{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Among Pettinato's controversial claims, he has also suggested that there was a change in the theophoric names shown in many of the tablets found in the archive from *El to *Yah, indicated in the example of the transition from Mika’el to Mikaya. This is considered by some to evidence an early use of the divine name [[Yahu|Yah]], a god who they believe later emerged as [[Yahweh]] ([[YHWH]]). Bottero, for example, has suggested that this shift may indicate the popular acceptance of the Akkadian God [[Ea (Babylonian god)|Ea]], introduced from the [[Sargon]]id Empire which may have been transliterated into Eblaite as YH. This theory has not gained universal acceptance, however, and other scholars have insisted the sign in question is correctly transliterated IA.<ref>Gordon, Cyrus H. ed. ''Eblaitica : essays on the Ebla archives and Eblaite language'' (Eisenbrauns, 1987)</ref> Many Old Testament Genesis names that have not been found in other Near Eastern languages do have similar forms in Eblaite (a-da-mu / [[Adam (Bible)|Adam]], h’à-wa / [[Eve (name)|Eve]], [[Jabal]], Abarama/[[Abraham]], [[Bilhah]], [[Ishmael|Ishma-el]], [[Israel|Isûra-el]], [[Esau]], [[Michael|Mika-el]], [[Mikaya]], [[Saul]], [[David]], etc.). Also found are many Biblical locations: for example [[Ashtaroth]], [[Sinai]], [[Jerusalem]] (Ye-ru-sa-lu-um), [[Hazor]], [[Lachish]], [[Gezer]], [[Dor]], [[Megiddo]], [[Joppa]], etc. Giovanni Pettinato has also claimed to find references to [[Sodom]] and [[Gomorrah]].<ref>An early assessment was Clifford A Wilson , ''The impact of Ebla on Bible records: The sensational Tell Mardikh'' (1977).</ref> Three versions of the Eblaite creation hymn have been found. They state :''Lord of heaven and earth:'' :''the earth was not, you created it,'' :''the light of day was not, you created it,'' :''the morning light you had not [yet] made exist.'' ===The destruction of Ebla=== [[Sargon of Akkad]] and his grandson [[Naram-sin]], the conquerors of much of Mesopotamia, each claim to have destroyed Ebla; the exact date of destruction is the subject of continuing debate, but 2240 BC is a probable candidate. During the next three centuries, Ebla was able to regain some economic importance in the region, but never reached its former glory. It is possible the city had economic ties with the nearby city of [[Urshu]], as is documented by economic texts from [[Drehem]] (a suburb of [[Nippur]]), and from findings in [[Kanesh]]. ==Ebla in the second millennium BC== Several centuries after its destruction by the Akkadians, Ebla managed to recover some of its importance, and had a second apogee lasting from ca. 1850 to 1600 BC. Its people were then known as [[Amorite]]s. The first known ruler or Ebla in this period was Megum, an Ensi (governor) for [[Ur III]] during the reign of [[Amar-Sin]] of Ur. <ref>Megum, the First Ur III Ensi of Ebla, Owen D. I. - Veenker R. in L. Cagni ed., Ebla 1975-1985, Napoli 1987, pp. 263-291</ref> [[Ibbit-Lim]] was the first attested king. Ebla is mentioned in texts from [[Alalakh]] from ca. 1750 BC. The city was destroyed again in the turbulent period of 1650 &ndash; 1600 BC, by a [[Hittites|Hittite]] king ([[Mursili I]] or [[Hattusili I]]). This is attested to only by the fragmentary Hurro-Hittite ''Song of Release''.<ref> Relations between God and Man in the Hurro-Hittite Song of Release, Mary R. Bachvarova, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Jan-Mar 2005</ref> Ebla never recovered from its second destruction. The city continued as a small village until the 7th century AD, then was deserted and forgotten until its archaeological rediscovery. == Notes == {{reflist}} == References == * Matthiae, Paolo ''The Royal Archives of Ebla'' (Skira, 2008) <!-- due 2/28/08 --> * Gordon, Cyrus and Rendsburg, Gary eds. ''Eblaitica: Essays on the Ebla Archives and Eblaite Language'' (Publications of the Center for Ebla Research at New York University / Eisenbrauns, in 4 vols. 1987, 1990, 1992, 2002) * Beld, Scott G., Hallo, William W., and Michalowski, Piotr '' The Tablets of Ebla: Concordance and Bibliography'' (Eisenbrauns, 1984) * Pettinato, Giovanni ''The Archives of Ebla: An Empire Inscribed in Clay'' (Doubleday, 1981) ==See also== *[[Biblical archaeology]] *[[Ugarit]] ==External links== *[http://ragz-international.com/ebla.htm Capsule history.] *[http://www.syriagate.com/Syria/about/cities/Idlib/ebla-cm.htm Carol Miller, capsule history of Ebla.] *[http://digilander.libero.it/jimdigriz/jor_syr/ebla.html Ebla - Tell Mardikh] with photos and plans of the digs {{it icon}} *[http://perso.wanadoo.fr/spqr/ebla.htm Ebla] {{fr icon}} *[http://www.asor.org/pubs/jcs/53/ascalone.pdf ''Two Weights from Temple N at Tell Mardikh-Ebla'', by E. Ascalone and L. Peyronel (pdf] *[http://www.asor.org/pubs/jcs/53/pinnock.pdf ''The Urban Landscape of Old Syrian Ebla''. F. Pinnock (pdf)] [[Category:Ebla]] [[Category:Amorite cities]] [[Category:Babylonian cities]] [[Category:Archaeological sites in Syria]] [[Category:History of Syria]] [[ar:إبلا]] [[ca:Ebla]] [[da:Ebla]] [[de:Ebla]] [[es:Ebla]] [[fr:Ebla]] [[gl:Ebla]] [[ko:에블라이트]] [[it:Ebla]] [[he:אבלה]] [[lv:Ebla]] [[nl:Ebla]] [[ja:エブラ]] [[no:Ebla]] [[pl:Ebla]] [[pt:Ebla]] [[ru:Эбла]] [[fi:Ebla]] [[sv:Ebla]] [[ur:عبیل]]