Short Chronology Timeline - Middle Bronze Age

Middle Bronze Age

The Old Assyrian / Old Babylonian period (20th to 15th centuries)

First Dynasty of Isin

Further information: Isin

After Ishbi-Erra of Isin breaks away from the declining Third Dynasty of Ur under Ibbi-Suen, Isin reaches its peak under Ishme-Dagan. Weakened by attacks from the upstart Babylonians, Isin eventually falls to its rival Larsa under Rim-Sin I.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Ishbi-Erra	1953–1921 BC	Contemporary of Ibbi-Suen of Ur III
Šu-ilišu	1920–1911 BC	Son of Ishbi-Erra
Iddin-Dagan	1910–1890 BC	Son of Shu-ilishu
Ishme-Dagan	1889–1871 BC	Son of Iddin-Dagan
Lipit-Eshtar	1870–1860 BC	Contemporary of Gungunum of Larsa
Ur-Ninurta	1859–1832 BC	Contemporary of Abisare of Larsa
Bur-Suen	1831–1811 BC	Son of Ur-Ninurta
Lipit-Enlil	1810–1806 BC	Son of Bur-Suen
Erra-Imittī or Ura-imitti	1805–1799 BC
Enlil-bāni	1798–1775 BC	Contemporary of Sumu-la-El of Babylon
Zambīia	1774–1772 BC	Contemporary of Sin-Iqisham of Larsa
Iter-piša	1771–1768 BC
Ur-du-kuga	1767–1764 BC
Suen-magir	1763–1753 BC
Damiq-ilishu	1752–1730 BC	Son of Suen-magir

Kings of Larsa

Further information: Larsa

The chronology of the Kingdom of Larsa is based mainly on the Larsa King List (Larsa Dynastic List), the Larsa Date Lists, and a number of royal inscriptions and commercial records. The Larsa King List was compiled in Babylon during the reign of Hammurabi, conqueror of Larsa. It is suspected that the list elevated the first several Amorite Isinite governors of Larsa to kingship so as to legitimize the rule of the Amorite Babylonians over Larsa. After a period of Babylonian occupation, Larsa briefly breaks free in a revolt ended by the death of the last king, Rim-Sin II.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Naplanum	1961–1940 BC	Contemporary of Ibbi-Suen of Ur III
Emisum	1940–1912 BC
Samium	1912–1877 BC
Zabaia	1877–1868 BC	Son of Samium, First royal inscription
Gungunum	1868–1841 BC	Gained independence from Lipit-Eshtar of Isin
Abisare	1841–1830 BC
Sumuel	1830–1801 BC
Nur-Adad	1801–1785 BC	Contemporary of Sumu-la-El of Babylon
Sin-Iddinam	1785–1778 BC	Son of Nur-Adad
Sin-Eribam	1778–1776 BC
Sin-Iqisham	1776–1771 BC	Contemporary of Zambiya of Isin, Son of Sin-Eribam
Silli-Adad	1771–1770 BC
Warad-Sin	1770–1758 BC	Possible co-regency with Kudur-Mabuk his father
Rim-Sin I	1758–1699 BC	Contemporary of Irdanene of Uruk, Defeated by Hammurabi of Babylon, Brother of Warad-Sin
Hammurabi of Babylon	1699–1686 BC	Official Babylonian rule
Samsu-iluna of Babylon	1686–1678 BC	Official Babylonian rule
Rim-Sin II	1678–1674 BC	Killed in revolt against Babylon

First Babylonian Dynasty (Dynasty I)

Following the fall of the Ur III Dynasty, the resultant power vacuum was contested by Isin and Larsa, with Babylon and Assyria later joining the fray. In the second half of the reign of Hammurabi, Babylon became the preeminent power, a position it largely maintained until the sack by Mursili I in 1531 BC. Note that there are no contemporary accounts of the sack of Babylon. It is inferred from much later documents.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Sumu-abum or Su-abu	1830–1817 BC	Contemporary of Ilushuma of Assyria
Sumu-la-El	1817–1781 BC	Contemporary of Erishum I of Assyria
Sabium or Sabum	1781–1767 BC	Son of Sumu-la-El
Apil-Sin	1767–1749 BC	Son of Sabium
Sin-muballit	1748–1729 BC	Son of Apil-Sin
Hammurabi	1728–1686 BC	Contemporary of Zimri-Lim of Mari, Siwe-palar-huppak of Elam and Shamshi-Adad I
Samsu-iluna	1686–1648 BC	Son of Hammurabi
Abi-eshuh or Abieshu	1648–1620 BC	Son of Samsu-iluna
Ammi-ditana	1620–1583 BC	Son of Abi-eshuh
Ammi-saduqa or Ammisaduqa	1582–1562 BC	Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa
Samsu-Ditana	1562–1531 BC	Sack of Babylon

1st Sealand Dynasty (2nd Dynasty of Babylon)

When the names of Sealand Dynasty kings were found on cuneiform records like the Babylonian Kings Lists, Chronicle 20, Chronicle of the Early Kings, and the Synchronistic King List, it was assumed that the dynasty slotted in between the First Dynasty of Babylon and the Kassites. Later discoveries changed this to the assumption that the dynasty ran entirely in parallel to the others. Modern scholarship has made it clear that the Sealand Dynasty did in fact control Babylon and the remnants of its empire for a time after its sack by the Hittites in 1531 BC.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Ilumael or Ilum-ma-ilī	circa 1700 BC	Contemporary of Samsu-iluna and Abi-eshuh of the First Dynasty of Babylon
Itti-ili-nībī
Damqi-ilišu II
Iškibal
Šušši
Gulkišar
mDIŠ+U-EN (reading unknown)
Pešgaldarameš		Son of Gulkishar
Ayadaragalama		Son (=descendant) of Gulkishar
Akurduana
Melamkurkurra
Ea-gâmil	ca. 1460 BC	Contemporary of Ulamburiash of the Kassite dynasty of Babylon

Hittite Old Kingdom

The absolute chronology of the Hittite Old Kingdom hinges entirely on the date of the sack of Babylon. In 1531 BC, for reasons that are still extremely unclear, Mursili I marched roughly 500 miles from Aleppo to Babylon, sacked it, and then promptly returned home, never to return. Other than that event, all the available chronological synchronisms are local to the region in and near Anatolia.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Pusarruma
Labarna I
Hattusili I or Labarna II	1586–1556 BC	Grandfather of Mursili I
Mursili I	1556–1526 BC	Sacked Babylon in reign of Samsu-Ditana of Babylon
Hantili I	1526–1496 BC
Zidanta I	1496–1486 BC
Ammuna	1486–1466 BC	Son of Hantili I
Huzziya I	1466–1461 BC	Son of Ammuna