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Amorite Male Names
Kudur-Mabug - Amorite chieftain who captured Larsa (4)
Armenian Male Names
Ara - Ancient Armenian name (4)
Assyrian Male Names
Adad-nerari, Adad-Nirari - The name of several Assyrian kings (4, 8)
Canaanite Female Names
Donatiya - A name from a Ugaritic legend (10)
Canaanite Male Names
Ammishtamru - The name of two kings of Ugarit (10)
Canaanite Deities
Anath - Goddess of war and love, consort of Baal (10)
Elamite Male Names
Asina (1)
Hittite Female Names
Pudukhepa, Puduhepa - Hittite queen (3, 4)
Hittite Male Names
Anittas - Early Hittite king (4)
Hittite Deities
Arinna - Sun goddess (7)
Median Male Names
Astyages - Last king of the Medes (4)
Mitannian Female Names
Gilukhepa (3)
Mitannian Male Names
Artatama - Ruler of Mitanni - The name is Indo-Aryan. (4)
Mitannian Deities
The Devas (4)
Nabataean Female Names
Gamilat (2)
Nabataean Male Names
Aretas (2)
Nabataean Deities
Al-Kutba - God of writing and divination (2)
Atheas - Scythian king who defeated the Thracians and fought Philip of Macedon (11)
Source:
(1) Avesta.org.
(2) Petra: Lost City of the Ancient World, Christian Auge and Jean-Marie
Dentzer, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1999, 2000.
(3) Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt, Joyce Tyldesley, New York:
Penguin Books, 1995, p. 186, 187, 202.
(4) The Penguin Encyclopedia of Ancient Civilizations, ed. Arthur Cotterell,
New York: Penguin Books, 1980, 1988.
(5) Historical Atlas of the Classical World: 500 B.C. to A.D. 600, John Haywood, New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1998, 2000.
(6) Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible, Carl G. Rasmussen
(7) Cities of the Biblical World: An Introduction to the Archaeology, Geography, and History of Biblical Sites, LaMoine F. DeVries, Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.
(8) Annals of the Kings of Assyria
(9) Concise Bible Atlas: A Geographical Survey of Bible History, J. Carl Laney, Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988, 1999.
(10) The World of the Old Testament, J. J. Packer et al, New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982.
(11) From the Land of the Scythians: Ancient Treasures From the Museums of the USSR, 3000 BC to 100 BC. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, New York, 1975.
(12) The Ancient Orient: An Introduction to the Study of the Ancient Near East, Wolfram von Soden, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994.
The sources for the map come from #4 and #5.
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Ancient Names Galleria
Amorite Names
The Amorites were a Semitic-speaking group who appeared in Babylonia as mercenaries and workers soon after 2000 BC. Their name comes from the Babylonian term, "Amurru", or "West People". A Sumerian epic described the Amorites as living in the mountains and not knowing grain. They brought bulls and goats for the Sumerian goddess, Inanna. The Amorites expanded into Syria during the first quarter of the second millennium BC. Their lands were later taken over by the kingdom of Mitanni around 1595 BC.(4, 12)
Rim-Sin - Ruled Larsa c. 1822 - 1763 B.C., son of Kudur-Mabug (4)
Warad-Sin - Son of Kudur-Mabug (4)
Armenian/Urartian Names
In Assyrian times, the region of Armenia was called "Urartu". A Hurrian people lived in the Armenian region by about 3000 BC. Under pressure from the Hittites and then the Assyrians, the people of the region eventually united. Aramu (Armenian Aram) was the first king of Urartu in 880 BC. His capital was at Arzashkun. By 824 BC, the capital had moved to Tushpa (modern Van). During the eighth century BC, the kingdom expanded until it reached from Colchis to Syria and as far north as the land of the Georgians. Urartu fell apart around 600 BC under the pressure of Cimmerians and Scythians from the north and from the Iranian Medes. Indo-European-speaking Armenians and other peoples now entered the region and absorbed the earlier Urartians, who survived for some time as the Chaldians or Alarodians. Armenia was a satrapy or provine of Persia during the times of the Achaemenids. An Armenian dynasty ruled independently after Persia was conquered by Alexander the Great. Hannibal of Carthage was a friend of one Armenian ruler, Artaxias or Artashes I (190 - 159 BC) and he reportedly retired to Armenia. Armenia became a major power under Artaxias' descendant, Tigranes II the Great, who ruled from 95 to 56 BC. Under Tigranes, Armenia's boundaries echoed those of Urartu at its height. The Romans later battled with the Armenians and the emperor Nero handed Armenia to a Parthian prince, known as Trdat or Tiridates.(4)
Aram - Ancient Armenian name (4)
Aramu, Arame - King of Urartu (4)
Argishti - The name of several kings of Urartu (4)
Arkha - Ancient Armenian name (1)
Artavazd - Ruler of Armenia (4)
Artaxias, Artashes - The name of several Armenian kings (4)
Haldita - Ancient Armenian name (1)
Menua - King of Urartu (4)
Rusa - The name of several kings of Urartu (4)
Sarduri - The name of several kings of Urartu (4)
Tigranes - The name of several kings of Armenia (4)
Assyrian Names
The Assyrian empire centered on Ashur, Nineveh, and Arbela and lay to the
north of Babylonia. The Assyrians were a dominant power from c2000 B.C.
to 612 B.C. They fell to a combined force of Medes and Babylonians in 612 BC.(4
Ashurbanipal - Assyrian king who reiged from 668 - 627 B.C. (4)
Ashur-Bel-Kala (8)
Ashur-dan - The name of several Assyrian kings (4)
Ashur-Nasir-Pal - Variant of Ashurbanipal? (8)
Ashur-Resh-Ishi (8)
Ashur-uballit - The name of several Assyrian kings (4)
Bel-nirari - Father of a king (8)
Esarhaddon - Assyrian king who reigned from 680 - 669 B.C. (4)
Igurkapkapu - Father of a king (8)
Irishum (8)
Ishme-Dagan - The name of several Assyrian kings (4)
Marduk-Nadin-Akhe - Chief scribe of Ashur-uballit (8)
Pudi-Ilu (8)
Sargon - The name of several Assyrian kings (4)
Sennacherib - Assyrian king who reigned from 704 - 681 B.C. (4)
Shalmaneser - The name of several Assyrian kings (4)
Shamshi-Adad, Samsi-Adad - The name of several Assyrian kings (4, 8)
Tiglath-pileser - The name of several Assyrian kings (4)
Tukulti-Ninib (8)
Tukulti-Ninurta - The name of several Assyrian kings (4)
Canaanite and Ugaritic Names
The Canaanites entered western Asia around 2000 BC. Local kings ruled the city-states of Canaan. One of the most powerful city-states was Ugarit (in modern Syria). Ugarit's golden age lasted from 1550 BC to 1200 BC, when the city was destroyed. The names of some of Ugarit's kings are known back to the nineteenth century BC. Most of the documents in Ugarit's libraries were written in the Akkadian script but other documents were written in Egyptian, Cypro-Minoan Linear B, Hittie, Hurrian, Sumerian, Akkadian, and Ugaritic. (10, 12)
Hurriya - A name from a Ugaritic legend (10)
Pigat - A name from a Ugaritic legend (10)
Ar Khalba - A king of Ugarit (10)
Aqhat - A character from Ugaritic legend (10)
Danel - A character from Ugaritic legend (10)
Hammurapi' - A king of Ugarit (10)
Ibiranu - A king of Ugarit (10)
Keret - A character in Ugaritic legend (10)
Niqmad/Niqmaddu - The name of several Ugaritic kings (10)
Niqmepa - A king of Ugarit (10)
Paebel - A character from Ugaritic legend (10)
Yaqarum - A king of Ugarit (10)
Yassib - A character from Ugaritic legend (10)
Arsiya - Goddess of the earth, daughter of Baal (10)
Baal - God of the sky and rain (10)
Dagon - The father of Baal (10)
El - The leader of the gods (10)
Mot - The god of death (10)
Padriya - Goddess of the clouds, daughter of Baal (10)
Talliya - Goddess of the dew, daughter of Baal (10)
Yamm - The god of the sea (10)
Yarih - The moon god (10)
Elamite Names
Elam lay to the east of Sumer, in the Zagros Mountains. Susa was its capital. The Elamites were one of the first cultures to adapt the Sumerian writing system to fit their own language. The region eventually became a satrapy in the Persian Empire. The story of Esther takes place in Susa. The Elamite language was used administratively in Susa and Persepolis during the Persian period. Susa was one of the royal cities during the Persian period. The other royal cities were Ecbatana, Pasargadae, and Persepolis. (4, 6, 9, 12)
Atamaita (1)
Martiya (1)
Umamaita (1)
Upadarma (1)
Hittites Names
The Hittites ruled what will later be called Syria. The Assyrians knew the area as "Hatti". The Egyptians called them the "Kheta". They were a mighty power from c1700 - 1190 BC. The Hittite kingdom was a political entity that was composed of many ethnic and linguistic groups. Indo-Europeans entered the area at the end of the third millennium BC and absorbed an earlier people, known as the Hattians. The pre-Indo-European Hattian language died out by c1750 BC, except for religious use in the cults of some of the gods. The Hittites originally ruled from a city called Kussara and later conquered Kanesh and then Hattush. Hattush or Hattusha eventually became the Hittite capital. The Hittites were absorbed into the Assyrian empire by 700 BC.
Arnuwandas - The name of several Hittite kings (4)
Hattusilis, Khattasulis = "Man of Hattusha" - The name of several Hittite kings (3, 4)
Katuzili - Royal Hittite name (4)
Lubarna, Labarnas - Royal Hittite name (4, 7)
Mursilis - The name of several Hittite kings (4)
Mutallu - Royal Hittite name (4)
Muwatallis - Hittite king (4)
Sapalulme - Royal Hittite name (4)
Suppiluliuma, Suppiluliumas - The name of several Hittite kings (3, 4)
Telipinus - Hittite king (4)
Tudhaliyas - The name of several Hittite kings (4)
Estan - Hattian sun goddess (4)
Hasammeli - Hattian god of smiths (4)
Hebat - Hurrian wife of Teshub, added to the Hittite pantheon at a later date (4, 7)
Ishtanu - A solar god (7)
Istustaya - Hattian goddess of fate (4)
Lelwani - Hattian ruler of the underworld (4)
Papaya - Hattian goddess of fate (4)
Sharruma - Son of Teshub and Hebat (7)
Tarhu, Tarhunnas - Hittite god of weather (4)
Taru - Hattian weather god (4)
Teshub - Hurrian storm god added to the Hittite pantheon at a later date and identified with the Hattian Taru. Teshub became the major Hittite deity (4, 7)
Wurusemu - Hittite sun goddess and wife of Tarhu, although the name is Hattian (4)
Median Names
The Medes are first mentioned in records of the ninth century BC. The Persians also appear in records from this time but appear to be less important than the Medes. The Medes first appeared in the eastern Zagros Mountains and moved westwards into Mesopotamia. The Medes established a capital at Ecbatana (modern Hamadan). They raided the eastern Assyrian frontier. Assyria finally fell to a combined force of Babylonians and Medes around 612 BC. The Medes controlled the highlands and central Anatolia until overthrown by Cyrus II of Persia in 550 BC. (4) Ecbatana became a royal city during the Persian period. With an elevation of 6,000 feet above sea level, Ecbatana was favored as a summer resort and capital. Alexander the Great later destroyed the city and a new city was built. (9)
Cyaxares - King of the Medes and father of Astyages (4)
Deioces - Early, possibly mythical king of the Medes (4)
Fravarti (1)
Gaumata (1)
Phraortes - Early, possibly mythical king of the Medes (4)
Mitannian Names
The kingdom of Mitanni lay in what will one day be called western Syria, in the mountainous regions of the upper Euphrates and Tigris. The kingdom lay to the west of Assyria and north of Babylonia. The Hurrians (Biblical Horites) and Indo-Aryans both contributed to the culture. The Indo-Aryans were associated with breeding and training horses. Many of the names of Mitanni's rulers are Indo-Aryan. The Indo-Aryans seem to have intermarried with the Hurrians. The Hurrians first appear in the eastern part of the Fertile Crescent in the third millennium BC and then in greater numbers in the second millennium BC. The Hurrians may originally have come from the Trans-Caucasian region. Their language is not related to any other languages, except perhaps Urartian. The Hurrians entered eastern Syria during the first dynasty of Babylon (c. 1595 BC) and took over the lands of the Amorites. Some Amorites continued to live in Mitanni. The capital of Mitanni was Washukanni, near the Habur river. Mitanni was eventually divided between the Hittites and the rising power of Assyria between 1300 and 1200 BC.(4)
Tadukhepa (3)
Biridaswa = "Possessing great horses" - Possibly an Indo-Aryan name. (4)
Kikkuli - Writer of a horse training manual found in the Hittite capital (4)
Mattiwaza - Ruler of Mitanni (4)
Parattarna - Ruler of Mitanni c. 1500 B.C. (4)
Sattawaza = "He who has won seven prizes [at the horse races] - Possibly an Indo-Aryan name. (4)
Shuttarna - Ruler of Mitanni - The name is Indo-Aryan. (4)
Tehiptilla - A wealthy (Hurrian?) resident of Nuzi (Akkadian Gasur) during the Mitanni period. (7)
Tushrata, Tushratta - Ruler of Mitanni - The name is Indo-Aryan. (3, 4)
Indra (4)
Rta (4)
Soma (4)
Svar (4)
Vayu (4)
Nabataean Names
These are the names of the queens and kings of Petra, who lived from
c.170 B.C. to 106 A.D. in lands once held by the Edomites. The Nabataeans were a Western Aramaic-speaking people who grew rich from the caravan trade. Aramaic was a common trade language in the region. The Nabataeans moved into the area by about 312 BC. They originally came from somewhere in the Arabian peninsula or from Mesopotamia or the Persian Gulf area. As the power of the Seleucids over the area faded, the Nabataean kingdom grew strong. From their capital city at Petra, the Nabataeans controlled the trade routes in Sinai, the Negev, southern Syria, and part of the Hejaz in northwestern Saudi Arabia. North-bound traders from Arabia Felix (Yemen) brought incense, myrrh, and spices up to Nabataean merchants, who offered copper and bitumen in exchange for the spices. Spices from India were brought to ports like Gerrha, a port on the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf, and were sold at places like Leuke Kome, an important Nabataean market city on the Arabian coast of the Red Sea. The Nabataeans then sold the spices to merchants in Mediterranean ports, such as Gaza and Alexandria. From there, the spices made their way to Greece and Italy. The capital city of Petra is not the only Nabataean city with rock-hewn tombs. The southern Nabataean town of Hegra, in the Hejaz, also has rock-hewn tombs. Over time, the Romans redirected trade away from Petra. In 106 A.D., the Nabataean kingdom was annexed by Rome. Petra became a leading city in the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. The Nabataeans eventually merged with the Arabian population. (2)
Haganu (2)
Hagru (2)
Huldu (2)
Shaqilat (2)
Malichus (2)
Obodas (2)
Rabbel (2)
Allat - A goddess associated with Athena (2)
Al-Uzza - A goddess associated with Aphrodite or Venus (2)
Baalshamin - An Edomite and Syrian god (2)
Dushara - God of Shera, a mountain east of Petra, and the protector of royalty (2)
Manawat - A goddess associated with Fate or Nemesis (2)
Scythian Names
Scythian Male Names
Madyes (Greek) - Son of Protothyes (11)
Partatua (Assyrian), Protothyes (Greek) - A Scythian king recorded by the Assyrians and the Greeks (11)
Skunxa (1)