Show Notes
Synopsis: Even as Anatolia, Syria and Egypt confronted the Bronze Age Collapse, the eastern kingdoms of Assyria, Babylonia and Elam continued their ancient cycle of dynastic conflict.
“Why I – who am a king, son of a king, seed of a king, scion of a king, who am king for the lands, for the land of Babylonia and the land of Elam, descendant of the eldest daughter of the mighty King Kurigalzu – why do I not sit on the throne of the land of Babylonia? I sent you a sincere proposal; you, however, have granted me no reply. You may climb up to heaven, but I’ll pull you down by your hem; you may go down to hell, but I’ll pull you up by your hair! I shall destroy your cities, demolish your fortresses, stop up your irrigation ditches, cut down your orchards, pull out the rings of the sluices at the mouths of your irrigation canals.” – Letter to the Kassite court by the Elamite king Kutir-Nahhunte.
Map of the Late Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean:
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