Marduk-zâkir-à ¡umi (inscribed <sup>md</sup><small>AMAR.UTU</small>-za-kir-<small>MU</small> in a reconstruction of two kinglists, 'Marduk pronounced the name',) was a king of Babylon from 855 to 819 BC during the mixed dynastic period referred to in antiquity as the dynasty of E. He was a contemporary of the Assyrian kings, SalmÃÂnu-aà ¡arÃÂdu III (commonly known as Shalmaneser III) (859âÂÂ824 BC) and à  amà ¡i-Adad V (824âÂÂ811 BC) with whom he was allied.
There are few contemporary inscriptions bearing witness to his reign. A kudurru granting Ibni-Ià ¡tar, a kalû-priest of the temple of Eanna in Uruk, land by Marduk-zâkir-à ¡umi, is dated to his second year. Nazi-Enlil was governor or à ¡andabakku (inscribed <sup>LÃÂ</sup><small>GÃÂ.EN.NA</small>) of Nippur, the first appearance of this office since Kassite times, as he appears as a witness along with the crown prince, Marduk-balÃÂssu-iqbi. A second kudurru records a private land sale near Dilbat. His son, Enlil-apla-uá¹£ur, was to succeed him in Marduk-balÃÂssu-iqbiâÂÂs reign. A lapis lazuli seal of this king depicting Marduk's statue resting on his pet dragon, Muà ¡á¸«uà ¡à ¡u, was an offering intended to be hung around an idol's neck.
His younger brother, Marduk-bÃÂl-uà ¡ati (inscribed <sup>md</sup><small>AMAR.UTU-EN</small>-ú-sat), rebelled and established a brief regime in the DiyÃÂla region, seizing Daban. Assyrian sources describe him as à ¡ar ḫammÃÂâÂÂi, "usurper." During years 851 and 850 BC, the Assyrian king SalmÃÂnu-aà ¡arÃÂdu III came to Marduk-zâkir-à ¡umiâÂÂs aid (ana nërÃÂrà «tià ¡u) and campaigned in concert to force him to flee to the Jasubu mountainous region northeast, area of lower DiyÃÂla. During the first of the campaigns, Marduk-bÃÂl-uà ¡ati made a stand at Ganannate but was defeated outside the city walls. He was able to take refuge within the city which remained unconquered. The second campaign resulted in the cityâÂÂs fall and he beat a hasty retreat with some of his officers, escaping "like a fox through a hole" to the city of Arman (Ḫalman) which itself was taken after a siege. SalmÃÂnu-aà ¡arÃÂdu left an account of these events on his Black Obelisk:
During his campaign, SalmÃÂnu-aà ¡arÃÂdu captured the city of Baqani, extracting tribute from Adini of Bit-Dakkuri, also from Muà ¡allim-Marduk of the Amukani and the leader of the Yakin tribes, the earliest attestation of these Chaldean groups and made a pilgrimage to Babylon where he recounted "I ascended to Esagila, the palace of the gods, the abode of the king of all â¦" He practiced his religious devotions at other cultic shrines as his Black Obelisk recalls âÂÂI went to the great urban centers. I made sacrifices in Babylon, Borsippa and Kutha.â A relief from the front of his throne base depicts him gripping Marduk-zâkir-à ¡umiâÂÂs hand in a public display of Assyro-Babylonian friendship. The kings are flanked by beardless youths identified as the crown princes and presumed to be à  amà ¡i-Adad V and Marduk-balÃÂssu-iqbi, who would eventually come to conflict.
The opportunity came for Marduk-zâkir-à ¡umi to return the favor when, in his 32nd year of rule, c. 826 BC, SalmÃÂnu-aà ¡arÃÂdu's own son, Aà ¡à ¡ur-danin-apli ("Aà ¡à ¡ur has strengthened the son") rebelled against his father. à  amà ¡i-Adad V recalled:
The Synchronistic History remains silent on these events, but a treaty between à  amà ¡i-Adad and Marduk-zâkir-à ¡umi seems to place the Assyrian in an inferior position, indicative of his reliance on and debt to the Babylonian king. It concludes with a series of curses apparently copied from the Code of Hammurabi and notably omitting the god Aà ¡à ¡ur:
It may well have been concluded while SalmÃÂnu-aà ¡arÃÂdu was still alive and been accompanied by the diplomatic marriage of Marduk-zâkir-à ¡umi's daughter, Shammuramat, the inspiration for the legend of Semiramis, to à  amà ¡i-Adad. The consequences were, however, that à  amà ¡i-Adad resented his subordinate position and came to wreak a terrible revenge during the reign of Marduk-zâkir-à ¡umi's son and heir, Marduk-balÃÂssu-iqbi.
ABC Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (Grayson, 1975); AfO Archiv für Orientforschungen; AO siglum of objects in the collection of the Musée du Louvre; BM Department of Western Asiatic Antiquities, British Museum; IM National Museum of Iraq (Baghdad); K. Kouyunjik collection, British Museum; Rm Rassam collection, British Museum; KAV Keilschrifttexte aus Assur verschiedenen (Schroeder, 1920); ND prefix of field numbers, excavations at Nimrud 1949âÂÂ63; RA Revue d'Assyriologie; SAA State Archives of Assyria; VA Vorderasiatische Abetilung, Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin; VAT Vorderasiatische Abetilung, Tontafel, siglum of tablets in Vorderasiatisches wing of the Pergamon Museum, Berlin; VS Vorderasiatische Schriftdenkmäler (Ungnad, 1907).