Erishum I or Erià ¡u(m) I (inscribed <sup>m</sup>e-ri-à ¡u, or <sup>m</sup>APIN-Ã¬à ¡ in later texts but always with an initial i in his own seal, inscriptions, and those of his immediate successors, âÂÂhe has desired,âÂÂ; died 1935 BC) son of Ilu-shuma, was the 33rd ruler of Assyria to appear on the Assyrian King List. He reigned for around 40 years. One of two copies of the Assyrian King List which include him gives his reign length as only 30 years, but this contrasts with a complete list of his limmu, some 40, which are extant from tablets recovered at Karum Kanesh. He had titled himself both as, "Ashur is king, Erishum is vice-regent" and the, âÂÂIà ¡à ¡iâÂÂak Aà ¡à ¡urâÂÂ<sup>ki</sup> (âÂÂsteward of AssurâÂÂ), at a time when Assur was controlled by an oligarchy of the patriarchs of the prominent families and subject to the âÂÂjudgment of the cityâÂÂ, or dën alim. According to Veenhof, Erishum IâÂÂs reign marks the period when the institution of the annually appointed limmu (eponym) was introduced. The Assyrian King List observes of his immediate predecessors, âÂÂin all six kings known from bricks, whose limmu have not been marked/foundâÂÂ.
As Assur's merchant family firms vigorously pursued commercial expansion, Erià ¡um I had established distant trading outposts in Anatolia referred to as karums. Karums were established along trade routes into Anatolia and included: Kanesh, Ankuwa, Hattusa, and 18 other locations that have yet to be identified, some of which had been designated as âÂÂwarbatumsâ (satellites of and subordinate to the karums') The markets traded in: tin (inscribed AN.NA, Akkadian: annukum), textiles, lapis lazuli, iron, antimony, copper, bronze, wool, and grain, in exchange for gold and silver. Around 23,000 tablets have been found at Kanesh spanning a period of 129 years from the 30th year of Erishum IâÂÂs reign through to that of Puzur-Ashur II or possibly Naram-Sin with the earliest from level II including copies of his inscriptions. These were discovered in 1948 with three other similar though fragmentary lists and two copies of an inscription of Erishum I detailing the regulations concerning the administration of justice in Assur, including the possibility of plaintiffs to obtain a rÃÂbiá¹£um (attorney) to represent them:
Following the example set by Erishum I's father (Ilu-shuma), he had proclaimed tax exemptions, or as Michael Hudson has interpreted, "Erishum I proclaimed a remission of debts payable in silver, gold, copper, tin, barley, wool, down to chaff." This appears in an inscription on one side of a large broken block of alabaster, apparently described as a á¹Âuppu. The shallow depression on its top has led some to identify it as a door socket.
His numerous contemporary inscriptions commemorate his building of the temple for Assur, called âÂÂWild Bullâ with its courtyard and two beer vats and the accompanying curses to those who would use them for their intended purposes. Erishum IâÂÂs other civic constructions included the temple of Ishtar and that of Adad. He had exercised eminent domain to clear an area from the Sheep Gate to the PeopleâÂÂs Gate to make way for an enlargement of the city wall, so that he could boast that âÂÂI made a wall higher than the wall my father had constructed.â His efforts had been recalled by the later kings à  amà ¡i-Adad I, in his rebuilding dedication, and à  ulmanu-aà ¡ared I, who noted that 159 years had passed between Erishum IâÂÂs work and that of Shamsh-Adad I, and a further 580 years until his own when a fire had gutted it.
The following is a list of the annually-elected limmu from the first full year of Erishum I's reign until the year of his death c. 1935 BC (middle chronology):
1974 BC à  u-Ià ¡tar, son of Abila <br /> 1973 BC à  ukutum, son of Ià ¡uhum <br /> 1972 BC Iddin-ilum, son of Kurub-Ià ¡tar <br /> 1971 BC à  u-Anim, son of Isalia <br /> 1970 BC Anah-ili, son of Kiki <br /> 1969 BC Suitaya, son of Ir'ibum <br /> 1968 BC Daya, son of Ià ¡uhum <br /> 1967 BC Ili-ellat <br /> 1966 BC à  amaà ¡-t.ab <br /> 1965 BC Agusa <br /> 1964 BC Idnaya, son of à  udaya <br /> 1963 BC Quqadum, son of Buzu <br /> 1962 BC Puzur-Ià ¡tar, son of Bedaki <br /> 1961 BC Laqip, son of Bab-idi <br /> 1960 BC à  u-Laban, son of Kurub-Ià ¡tar <br /> 1959 BC à  u-Belum, son of Ià ¡uhum <br /> 1958 BC Nab-Suen, son of à  u-Ià ¡tar <br /> 1957 BC Hadaya, son of Elali <br /> 1956 BC Ennum-Aà ¡à ¡ur, son of Begaya <br /> 1955 BC Ikunum, son of à  udaya <br /> 1954 BC Is.mid-ili, son of Idida <br /> 1953 BC Buzutaya, son of Ià ¡uhum <br /> 1952 BC à  u-Ià ¡tar, son of Amaya <br /> 1951 BC Iddin-Aà ¡à ¡ur, son of the priest <br /> 1950 BC Puzur-Aà ¡à ¡ur, the ghee maker <br /> 1949 BC Quqadum, son of Buzu <br /> 1948 BC Ibni-Adad, son of Susaya <br /> 1947 BC Irià ¡um, son of Adad-rabi <br /> 1946 BC Minanum, son of Begaya <br /> 1945 BC Iddin-Suen, son of à  alim-ahum <br /> 1944 BC Puzur-Aà ¡à ¡ur, son of Idnaya <br /> 1943 BC à  uli, son of Uphakum <br /> 1942 BC Laqip, son of Zukua <br /> 1941 BC Puzur-Ià ¡tar, son of Erisua <br /> 1940 BC Aguwa, son of Adad-rabi <br /> 1939 BC à  u-Suen, son of S.illia <br /> 1938 BC Ennum-Aà ¡à ¡ur, son of Begaya <br /> 1937 BC Enna-Suen, son of Pussanum <br /> 1936 BC Ennanum, son of Uphakum <br /> 1935 BC Buzi, son of Adad-rabi