Tikunani Prism

The Tikunani Prism is a clay artifact with an Akkadian cuneiform inscription listing the names of 438 Habiru soldiers of King Tunip-Teššup of Tikunani (a small North Mesopotamian kingdom).[1] This king was a contemporary of King Hattusili I of the Hittites (around 1550 BC).

The discovery of this text generated much excitement, for it provided much-needed fresh evidence about the nature of the Habiru (or Hapiru) and their possible connection to the Biblical Hebrews. However, the majority of Tunip-Tessup's Habiru soldiers recorded in the text had Hurrian names that could not be explained in any Canaanite language (the family which Hebrew belongs to) or any other Semitic language. The rest of the names are Semitic, except for one Kassite name.

The Prism is 8½ inches tall, with a square base roughly 2 by 2 inches.[2] It is held in a private collection of antiquities in England, and its provenance is unknown.[2][3]

References
  • Mirjo Salvini, The Habiru prism of King Tunip-Teššup of Tikunani. Documenta Asiana, vol. 3. Istituti Editoriali e Poligrafici Internazionali, Rome (1996). 129 pages, 55 figures, including complete images of the prism. ISBN 88-8147-093-4. Reviewed by R. D. Biggs.[1]
  • Thomas Richter, Anmerkungen zu den hurritischer Personennamen der hapiru-Prismas aus Tigunana. In General |Studies and Excavations at Nuzi, vol. 10/2, Studies on the Civilization and Culture of nuzi and the Hurrians, vol. 9. pages 125-134. Bethseda, Maryland (1998). Cited by R. D. Biggs.[1]
  1. Robert D. Biggs, Review of Mirjo Salvini's The Habiru prism of King Tunip-Teššup of Tikunani. Journal of Near Eastern Studies volume 58 issue 4, October 1999, p. 294.
  2. Jack Meinhardt, The Two Faces of the AIA: Why the Strongarm Tactics? Editorial, Archaeological Odyssey, Volume 04 Number 02, May/June 2001. Biblical Archaeology Society. Online version archived at coupdefoudre.com, accessed on 2009-06-29.
  3. Bought on the Market. Archaeology Odyssey, Volume 02 Number 02, May/June 1999. Biblical Archaeology Society.
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