Gerard Gertoux

Absolute Mesopotamian chronology Gerard Gertoux

The 614 Assyrian eponyms between the first year of Samsî-Adad I and the first year of Tiglath-pileser I (1115-1076) allow us to date the reign of Samsî-Adad I (1728-1695) approximately (1 eponym = 1 year). As the Assyrian years were lunar before the reign of Ninurta-apil-Ekur (1192-1179), this makes it possible to slightly correct the reign of Samsî-Adad I (1712-1680), yet as this Amorite king died in the 17th year of King Hammurabi, so this synchronism fixes the dating of this Babylonian king (1697-1654). This dating does not correspond to the Middle Chronology, but exactly satisfies the astronomical dating of the Ammisaduqa tablet on Venus (Ultra-Low Chronology). In addition, one tablet of astronomical omens (Enuma Anu Enlil 20) mentions a lunar eclipse dated 14 Simanu at the end of the reign of Sulgi (14/III/48, 27 June 1954 BCE), and another (Enuma Anu Enlil 21) mentions a lunar eclipse dated 14 Addaru at the end of Ur III dynasty, which ended with the reign of Ibbi-Sin (14/XII/24, 6 March 1911 BCE). These two total lunar eclipses are separated by 42 years of reign (= 9 years of Amar-Sin + 9 years of Su-Sîn + 24 years of Ibbi-Sin) and 9 months (=XII - III). During the period 2200-1850 BCE, there was only one couple of lunar eclipses spaced 42 years and 9 months apart, and visible at Ur, corresponding to the description of the astronomical omens. These two total lunar eclipses confirm the absolute dating of the reign of Hammurabi (1697-1654) and allow to anchor the reign of Sargon of Akkad (2243-2187). In addition, as there is a synchronism between Neferhotep I (1721-1710) and Ibni-Addu (1700-1680), the king of Hazor, and another synchronism between Ibni-Addu and Hammurabi (1697-1654), the king of Babylon, this reign could be determined indirectly by carbon-14 and is again in perfect agreement with the "Ultra-Low chronology".