Kashtiliash III

Kaštiliašu III, inscribed phonetically in cuneiform as ^mKaš-til-ia-šu, is a possible Kassite king of Babylonia in the 15th century BC (Short Chronology). He is known only from the Assyrian Synchronistic King List,^{[i 1]} a copy of a monumental inscription,^{[i 2]} which gives his genealogy, and references in the Chronicle of Early Kings.^{[i 3]}

Kaštiliašu III
King of Babylon
Reign	c. 1500 BC
Predecessor	Burnaburiaš I
Successor	Agum III
House	Kassite

Sources

Evidence of Kaštiliašu's kingship is somewhat circumstantial. He may be the person indicated on line 21’^{[nb 1]} of the Synchronistic King List^{[i 1][1]} where he is placed opposite Assyrian king Aššur-nārāri I and is preceded by a lacuna and superseded by a poorly preserved name which is not thought to be Ulam-Buriaš.^[2] Two passages in the Chronicle of Early Kings mention Kaštiliašu: "Ulam-Buriaš, brother of Kaštiliašu, the Kassite" and "Agum, the son of Kaštiliašu".^{[i 3][3]} (Ulam-Buriaš conquered and ruled the Sealand—at the southern end of Babylonia—and perhaps ruled as king of Babylonia; Agum (III) was king of Babylonia.) He has no royal title in those, a feature of this chronicle that is shared by others, such as Samsu-Ditana, who, despite absent monarchical epithets, did prove to be kings.^[1]

A recently published copy of a monumental inscription^{[i 2]} celebrates his excavation of the Sumundar Canal and confirms his genealogy, son of Burnaburiaš I,^{[nb 2]} grandson of Agum II. It describes his ritual use of a silver spade and basket, which were subsequently displayed in the temple of Enlil, and his conscription of the people and land of Yamutbal for its excavation. Although he is designated as šakkanak Enlil, “governor of Enlil”, the title and subsequent elaborate curse formula against those who might later efface the inscription implies his regnal status.^[4]

Inscriptions

1. Synchronistic King List, Ass 14616c, KAV 216 [Weidner, AfO 3, line 21’.].
2. Moussaieff no. 254 Kaštiliašu Royal Inscription.
3. Chronicle of Early Kings, BM 96152 (1902-4-12, 264) tablet B, reverse lines 13 and 15.

Notes

1. The apostrophe designates a reconstructed line designation.
2. Inscribed as ^m[b]ur-na-bu-ra-ri-ia-aš, consistent with an early Kassite spelling.

References

1. J. A. Brinkman (1976). Materials for the Study of Kassite History, Vol. I (MSKH I). Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. pp. 12, 13.
2. Albert Kirk Grayson (1975). Assyrian and Babylonian chronicles. J. J. Augustin. p. 249.
3. Jona Lendering. "Chronicle of early kings (ABC)". Retrieved July 30, 2011.
4. Kathleen Abraham and Uri Gabbay (2013). "Kaštiliašu and the Sumundar Canal: A New Middle Babylonian Royal Inscription". Zeitschrift für Assyriologie. 103 (2): 183–195.