The Neo-Hittite Kingdom Masuwari and the Aramaeans of Bit-Adini

Abstract

The recent publication of fragament of Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription from Tell Ahmar (“Louvre fragment”) revealed the hitherto unkown Hittite equivalent for the name of the city Til-barsip: Masuwari—an evidnce which requires to reconsider the long debated relations between Hittites and Aramaeans in the land of Bit-Adini. A Hittite regime in Maswari prospered during the 10th century B. C. There is reason to assume to identify the “king of the land of Aram”, who conquered Pitru and Mutkinu, Assyrian colonies on the banks of the Euphrates during the reign of Ashurrabi II, with Hapatila the first king of Masuwari. In the first half of the coming century the Hittites of Masuwari came under the dominion of the Aramaeans of Bit-Adini whose last king Ahuni took the capital Masuwari (Tell Ahmar) as his own to change the name to Til-barsip, unitl it was finally conquered and renamed as Kar-Shalmaneser by Shalmaneser III of Assyria in 856 B. C.