Hassum (also given as Khashshum, Ḫaššum, Hassu, Hassuwa or Hazuwan) was a Hurrian city-state,
The exact location of the city has not been conclusively determined. Suggested sites include Tilbeshar,[ p.11] Oylum Höyük, Ain Dara, and Tilmen Höyük.
History
Early Bronze
The city was a vassal to
Ebla, it was mentioned in the
Ebla tablets as Hazuwan, and was governed by its own king.
It came under the influence of Mari for a short period of time in the 24th century BC,
before
Irkab-Damu of Ebla regained influence over the area,
the city survived the
Akkadian Empire conquests in 2240 BC and flourished as a trade center in the first half of the 2nd millennia BC.
Middle Bronze
In the beginning of 18th century BC, Hassum allied with Yamhad against
Yahdun-Lim of Mari,
it later helped
Yamhad against a kingdom in
Zalmakum (a marshy region between the
Euphrates and lower
Balikh River),
but then shifted alliance to
Shamshi-Adad I of
Assyria after he annexed Mari. The city sent him 1,000 troops to attack
Sumu-Epuh of Yamhad.
Later,
Yarim-Lim I of Yamhad brought Hassum under his hegemony and the city remained subjugated to Yamhad until the Hittite conquest.
Hittite Conquest
In the course of his war against Yamhad,
Hattusili I of the
Hittites, having destroyed
Alalakh and
Urshu, headed toward Hassum in his sixth year (around 1644 BC, middle chronology).
Yarim-Lim III of Yamhad sent his army under General Zukrassi, leader of the heavy-armed troops, accompanied by General Zaludis the commander of the
Umman Manda troops. They united with the army of Hashshum,
then the battle of Atalur mountain ensued (Atalur is located north of Aleppo not very far from the
Nur Mountains, it can be identified with the
Kurd-Dagh Mountains).
Hattusili destroyed his enemies and moved on to burn and loot Hassum. The citizens rallied their forces three times against the Hittites,
but Hattusili sacked the city and seized the statues of the god
Teshub, his wife
Hebat and a pair of silver bulls that were the bulls of Teshub,
and carried them to
Hattusa,
where they were kept in the temple of
Arinna.
The king of Hassum was captured and humiliated, he was harnessed to one of the wagons used to transport the loot of his city and taken to the Hittite capital.
Late Bronze
A century later, Hittite king
Telipinu (fl. c. 1500 BC) mentions Hassum as his chief enemy and his destruction of the city.
See also
Citations
