Hishep-ratep, we step for the first time into the full light of history, for they were contemporary with one of the most colorful figures of ancient times, Sargon, king of Agade (ca. 2530–2475 b.c.).
Shortly after his accession to the throne, Sargon laid plans to overthrow the power of the eastern mountaineers. He presaged an attack upon them by a conquest of the district Kazallu east of the Tigris.[1] Slightly beyond Kazallu was Der, modern Badrah, important as commanding an outlet from the mountains and not yet accounted a really Babylonian city.[2] Its capture led him to more truly Elamite territory; and, in an inscription which does not attempt to be a topographical description of his march, he lists the individuals whom he has encountered and the cities from which he has obtained booty.[3] Here are enumerated various rulers of Barahshi: Ul . . . . and Sidgau, both shakkanakku's or governors; Kunduba,
- ↑ Omens in L. W. King, Chronicles Concerning Early Babylonian Kings (London, 1907), I, 41 f.; cf. the chronicle, ibid., II, 5.
- ↑ Conquest of Der by Sargon is mentioned only in the geographical treatise which may describe his empire, published by O. Schroeder, Keilschrifttexte aus Assur verschiedenen Inhalts, No. 92; cf. W. F. Albright, "A Babylonian Geographical Treatise on Sargon of Akkad's Empire," JAOS, XLV (1925), 193–245, and XLVI (1926), 220–30. For the location of Der see E. Forrer, Die Provinzeinteilung des assyrischen Reiches (Leipzig, 1920), p. 97; Sidney Smith in Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, XVIII (1932), 28–32.
- ↑ The text is a composite of L. Legrain, Royal Inscriptions and Fragments from Nippur and Babylon (PBS, Vol. XV), No. 41 and pp. 12 ff., and Poebel, Historical and Grammatical Texts, No. 34 (cf. Poebel, Historical Texts, pp. 184 ff.); both now complete in Barton, RISA, pp. 110 ff.
