Akkad

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Template:Ancient Mesopotamia Akkad (or Agade) was a city and its region of northern Mesopotamia, situated on the left bank of the Euphrates, between Sippar and Kish (located in present-day Iraq, ca. 50 km south-west of the center of Baghdad, Template:Coor d). It reached the height of its power between the 24th and 22nd centuries BC, before the rise of Babylonia.

Akkad gave its name to the Akkadian language, reflecting use of akkadû ("in the language of Akkad") in the Old Babylonian period to denote the Semitic version of a Sumerian text. It was built in the 23rd century BC.

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History

The earliest records in Akkadian date to the time of Sargon of Akkad (23rd century BC). While Sargon is traditionally cited as the first ruler of a combined empire of Akkad and Sumer, more recent work suggests that a Sumerian expansion began under a previous king, Lugal-Zage-Si of Uruk. However, Sargon took this process further, conquering many of the surrounding regions to create an empire that reached as far as the Mediterranean Sea and Anatolia. Image:Stele Naram Sim Louvre Sb4.jpg It is believed that Akkad was the largest city in the world from 2250 to 2075 BC.<ref>{{

cite web | url=http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm | title=Largest Cities Through History | first=Matt T.| last=Rosenberg | publisher=About.com | accessdate=2006-04-01

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In the later Babylonian literature the name Akkad, together with Sumer, appears as part of the royal title, as in the Sumerian lugal Kengi (ki) Uru (ki) or Akkadian šar māt Šumeri u Akkadi, translating to "king of Sumer and Akkad", which appears to have meant simply "king of Babylonia".

The site of Akkad has not been identified, though texts from as late as the 6th century BC mention it, and its ruined buildings.

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Origin of the Name

The city of Akkad is mentioned once in the Old Testament (Genesis 10:10).

And the beginning of his (Nimrod's) kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. (KJV)

The Greek (LXX) spelling is Archad.

The name Agade is probably from the Sumerian language, appearing e.g. in the Sumerian king list, the later Assyro-Babylonian Semitic form Akkadû ("of or belonging to Akkad") probably being derived from Agade.

It is possible that the name AGA.DE means "Crown of Fire"<ref name=crown>Prince, "Materials for a Sumerian Lexicon", pp. 23, 73, Journal of Biblical Literature, 1906.</ref> in allusion to Ishtar, "the brilliant goddess", whose cult was observed in very early times in Agade. This is suggested by the writings of Nabonidus, whose record<ref name=nabonidus>I. Rawl. 69, col. ii. 48 and iii. 28.</ref> mentions that Ishtar worship of Agade was later superseded by that of the goddess Anunit, whose shrine was at Sippar. It is significant in this connection that there were two cities named Sippar, one under the protection of Shamash, the sun-god, and one under Anunit,suggesting proximity of Sippar and Agade. One theory held (as of 1911) was that Agade was situated opposite Sippar on the left bank of the Euphrates, and was probably the oldest part of the city of Sippar.

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Notes

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References

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See also

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External links

ca:Akkad cs:Akkad da:Akkad de:Akkad et:Akad es:Acad eo:Akado fr:Akkad (ville) gl:Acadia (Mesopotamia) he:אכד nl:Akkad ja:アッカド no:Akkad pl:Akad pt:Acádia (Mesopotâmia) ru:Аккад sk:Akkad fi:Akkad sv:Akkad zh:阿卡德

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