Legal case from Niqmi-Epuh to the king of Alalakh concerning the legacy of two houses
Little of Aleppo has been excavated by archaeologists, knowledge about Niqmi-Epuh comes from tablets discovered at Alalaḫ.[1] His existence is confirmed by a number of tablets with his seal on their envelope[2]
Yarim-Lim king of Alalakh, uncle of Yarim-Lim II and vassal of Yamhad died during Niqmi-Epuh's reign and was succeeded by his son Ammitakum,[3] who started to assert Alalakh's semi-independence.[4]
The tablets mention Niqmi-Epuh's votive status which he dedicated to Hadad and placed it in that deity's Temple.[5] Tablet AlT*11 informs of his return from Nishin, a place not known before, but certainly inside the territory of Yamhad because the tablet seems to refer to travel and not a military campaign.[6]
Niqmi-Epuh's most celebrated deed was his conquest of the town Arazik, near Charchemish,[7] the fall of this city was important to the extent of being suitable for dating several legal cases.[8]
The seal of Niqmi-Epuh includes his name written in cuneiform inscription. The king is depicted wearing a crown, facing two goddesses, one in Syrian dress, while and the other is wearing Babylonian dress.[9]
Niqmi-Epuh died ca. 1675 BC. He seems to have a number of sons, including Irkabtum who succeeded him immediately, prince Abba-El,[10] and possibly Yarim-Lim III.[11]Hammurabi III the last king before the Hittites conquest might have been his son too.[12]
