Dūr-Abī-ešuḫ

Dūr-Abī-ešuḫ (also Dūr-Abiešuḫ) was built by Abi-Eshuh (c. 1648–1620 BC) a ruler of the First Dynasty of Babylon. Its name means "Fortress of Abi-Eshuh". A year name of that ruler reads "Year in which Abi-eszuh the king built 'Dur-Abi-eszuh-szarrum / the fortress of Abi-eszuh the king' above / upstream the gate of the city on the bank of the Tigris". Its location is not yet known though it is thought to be near the ancient city of Nippur and presumably on the Tigris river. In cuneiform text it is usually called Dur-Abi-ešuh(canal) or more formally Dur-Abi-ešuhki ša zibbat i₇Hammu-rabi-nuhuš-niši meaning "Dur-Abiešuh-at-the-outlet-of-the-canal-Hammu-rabi-nuhuš-niši". In occasional unprovenaced tablets it is called Dur-Abi-ešuh(Tigris). Recent thinking is that there was actually a pair of fortresses with the name Dur-Abi-ešuh. While the site has not been found hundreds of cuneiform tablets began appearing on the antiquities market beginning around 1998 and as they are published more is being learned about the site. Because the threat from the Sealand dynasty and the movement of the Tigris river forced some cultic institutions, including that of the prominent Ekur temple community of Enlil, to move to Dur-Abi-ešuh there should be a number of temple records there.

It has been suggested that after the fall of Babylon Dūr-Abiešuḫ was renamed to Dūr-Enlil and became the capital of the First Sealand dynasty.

History
Dūr-Abī-ešuḫ is attested to have been occupied during the reigns of four contiguous rulers of Babylon, Abi-Eshuh, Ammi-Ditana, Ammi-Saduqa and Samsu-Ditana. This period marked the slow decline of the Old Babylonian Empire from the glory days of Hammurabi and the early rise of the First Sealand Dynasty beginning under its first ruler Ilī-ma-AN. Under ruler Samsu-iluna, predecessor of Abi-Eshuh, Babylon lost effective control over Nippur to Ilī-ma-AN and Sealand. Abi-Eshuh fortified the southern region of the Babylonian empire and dammed the Tigris river and as a result full control of Nippur had been regained by his 5th year. It is known that on or about year 11 of the reign of Ammi-Ditana, successor in Babylon to Abi-Eshuh, the major city of Nippur came under attack and was again partially abandoned. Dūr-Abī-ešuḫ was pivotal in the defense of Nippur.

Location
While the location (or locations) of Dūr-Abī-ešuḫ is unknown some things are certain. It is close to the city of Nippur. It has generally been thought to be to the east. It is clearly associated with the Tigris river. It was definitely on the watercourse of the Tigris as it was in the Late Old Babylonian period. The recent view that there are actually a pair of sites causes complication. Dur-Abi-ešuh(canal) is known to be at the junction of the Tigris river and the Hammu-rabi-nuhuš-niši (Hammurapi is abundance for the people) canal built in the 32nd year of his reign by Hammurabi to provide water to Nippur and point south. Unfortunately the location of that canal is unknown. Two fortresses were known to be on the canal, Dūr-Sîn-muballiṭ (at the intake of the canal) and Dur-Abi-ešuh (at the outtake of the canal). Dūr-Sîn-muballiṭ was built in year 9 of Sin-Muballit, father of Hammurabi, and apparently before the canal was constructed. Another fortress, Zibbat-narim, is known to have been on the Euphrates in the vicinity of Nippur and Dur-Abi-ešuh. The fortress Dur-šarrim, on the Tigris, is mentioned in texts from the site but its location is unknown.