Sin-Muballit


Sin-Muballit was the father of Hammurabi and the fifth Amorite king of the first dynasty of Babylonia, reigning c. 1748 to 1729 BC. He ruled over a relatively new and minor kingdom; however, he was the first ruler of Babylon to actually declare himself king of the city, and the first to expand the territory ruled by the city, and his son greatly expanded the Babylonian kingdom into the short lived Babylonian Empire.

Reign

Sin-Muballit succeeded his father Apil-Sin. No inscriptions for either king are known.
In Sin-Muballlit's 13th year, he repelled the army of Larsa, which was frequently in conflict with Babylon. In the 17th year of his reign, Sin-Muballit took possession of the city of Isin and his power grew steadily over time as evidenced by his building and fortifying a number of towns. He abdicated due to failing health.

Chronological note

There exists disagreement over the dating of the events of the first dynasty. The short chronology used in this article is the one most commonly used today by scholars. The middle chronology was until recently the preferred chronology and places events 64 years earlier than given here. There also exists a long chronology which places events 120 years earlier than given here. See Chronology of the Ancient Near East for details.