LIST OF THE MORE IMPORTANT KINGS AND RULERS AND A BRIEF CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
Reading edition
Approximate dates B.C.
Mesilim, king of Kish, suzerain of Southern Babylonia 3000
First Dynasty of Lagash.
Ur-Ninâ, the founder of dynasty Akurgal Eannatum Enannatum I Entemena Enannatum II Enetarzi Enlitarzi Lugal-anda 3000
Urukagina, defeated by Lugal-zaggisi, king of Erech and Sumer 2800
Dynasty of Kish.
Sharru-Gi Manishtusu Urumush 2750
Dynasty of Agade.
Shar-Gâni-sharri, established empire embracing Assyria, Syria and Palestine 2650
Narâm-Sin
Second Dynasty of Lagash.
Ur-Bau 2500
Gudea 2450
Ur-Engur 2400
Dungi, sacks Babylon, exercises suzerainty over Babylonia, extends his sway to Elam
Bur-Sin I Gamil-Sin Ibi-Sin
Dynasty of Isin. 2300-2100
First Dynasty of City of Babylon.
Khammurabi, king of Babylon, establishes a powerful kingdom in Babylonia, expels the Elamites who had effected a settlement in Ur and Larsa, restores Shar-Gâni-Sharri’s empire in Palestine and embraces Assyria within the sphere of his influence 1900
KhaThis dynasty is brought to an end by an invasion of the Hittites, who captured Babylon
KhaThe Kassites from the mountainous district, east of the Tigris, invade Babylonia and establish themselves as kings of Babylon. About a century after the Kassite invasion Assyria asserts her independence and becomes a separate kingdom
(?) Ushpia,192 the probable founder of the temple of Ashur 2100
(?) Ki-Ki-a, the first builder of the Dûru at Ashur, restorer of the temple of Ashur, and builder of the Adad-temple 2000
Shalmaneser I 1300
Tukulti-Ninib I, king of Assyria, conquers Babylonia 1275
Ashur-rêsh-ishi 1140
Tiglath-Pileser I 1100
Ashur-naṣir-pal extends the limits of the empire 885-860
Shalmaneser II becomes master of the whole of Western Asia. The Israelites under Jehu acknowledge his suzerainty 860-825
Tiglath-Pileser III recovers the ground lost by his immediate predecessors, carries the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity 745-727
Shalmaneser IV besieges Samaria 727-722
Sargon, the usurper, takes Samaria and transports most of population; defeats Egyptians and Philistines at Raphia; reduces Babylonia, carries on war in Elam; builds great palace at Khorsabad 722-705
Sennacherib reduces rebellious Babylonia; defeats Egyptians at Altaku in Dan; carries on war in Palestine; Hezekiah of Judah acknowledges his suzerainty; destroys Babylon (689) 705-681
Esarhaddon conquers Lower Egypt (672) 681-668
Ashur-bani-pal invades Egypt, the latter having thrown off the Assyrian yoke; sacks Thebes, the Egyptian capital (666); entirely subjugates Elam; defeats and puts to death Shamash-shum-ukîn, Viceroy of Babylonia 668-626
KhaEgypt and Lydia assert their independence
KhaThe Medes made raid on the eastern borders of the empire (circ. 634)
Ashur-bani-pal dies Shortly after his death the Median king Cyaxares defeats Assyrians and besieges Nineveh. Invasion of Scythian hordes momentarily checks Cyaxares, but soon after Cyaxares and possibly Nabopolassar, an Assyrian general in Babylon, besiege and ultimately capture and destroy Nineveh (circ. 607) Assyria goes to the Medes, Babylonia to Nabopolassar, who founds the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty 626
Neo-Babylonian Dynasty.
Nabopolassar 625-604
Nebuchadnezzar II defeated Necho, king of Egypt, before his accession; captures Jerusalem and takes Judah into captivity 604-561
Nabonidus, entrusts Babylon to his son Belshazzar. Cyrus, the Persian, invades Babylonia, captures Babylon and destroys the Neo-Babylonian Empire 555-538