Isin (modern Ishan al-Bahriyat), a city located 107 km southeast of Babylon and 27 km south of Nippur, was an important cult center of the healing goddess Gula (who was also called Ninisinna, the “Lady of Isin”). Its principal religious structure was called Egalmah, which was rebuilt during the long reign of the Neo-Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II (r. 604–562 BC). The Sumerian ceremonial names of few other of this city’s temples are known. Although Isin was founded as late as in the Early Dynastic Period, possibly already in the Ubaid period, and its main cult was active until at least the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (625–539 BC), the city held briefly authority over southern Mesopotamia only twice in its long history. The First Dynasty of Isin, under its fifteen kings, was the dominant power from the collapse of the Ur III state until Isin’s chief rival Larsa became the most dominate city-state (ca. 2017–1924 BC) The Second Dynasty of Isin, under its eleven kings, held authority over Babylonia from ca. 1157 BC to 1026 BC, when it was supplanted by the Second Dynasty of the Sealand.
Creators: A. Hausleiter; M. Roaf; R. Wenke; St J. Simpson
Contributors:
Jeffrey Becker;
Jamie Novotny;
Sean Gillies;
Tom Elliott; DARMC; P. Flensted Jensen; R. Talbert
Modifications: create DARMC citation to preserve cross-project linkage after retracting DARMC location; Changed summary, added references; created OSM location of Isin; modified name "Isin" (Initial revision, changed dates, Baseline created)
Actors:
Jeffrey Becker;
Jamie Novotny;
Tom Elliott