Page 77 - Life & Land Use on the Bahrain Islands (Curtis E Larsen)

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treasures. With their treasures they sent artisans, mustered
from their land, carriers of the headpad, a copper chariot,
copper tools, vessels of the workmanship of their land,—at the
destruction of Babylon. [Luckenbill 1927:438]

Fragmentary mention was made again during the reign of Essarhaddon (680-669
B.C.), who proclaimed himself to be king of the kings of Dilmun, Magan, and
Meluhha as well as the four regions of the world. Thus, until the seventh century
B.C., Dilmun appeared to be on the periphery of the southern Mesopotamian
struggles, but with a strong appreciation for the Assyrian point of view.
"The island entered the full limelight of Assyrian foreign policy with the
offensive of Assurbanipal against southern Mesopotamia, Bit-Iakin, and Elam"
(Oppenheim 1954:16). Assurbanipal offered the kingship of Dilmun to the Hundaru
in return for their allegiance in the conflicts between Assyria and Babylonia.
Oppenheim considered this a reflection of a provincial relationship between Dilmun
and Babylon at that time (ca. 652 B.C.), but it more reasonably shows the extent to
which the Assyrian king was willing to reach in search of allies.
Tribute to Assyria from Dilmun frequently consisted of bronze tools,
spices, perfume, and rare woods, indicating renewed trade with distant sources.
This is in contrast to the Kassite period agricultural exports and provides a clue to
renewed maritime contacts with the southern Gulf region (Oppenheim 1954). In
support of this case is Assurbanipal's inscription in the Temple of Ishtar at Nineveh
where, as Oppenheim notes, Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha were mentioned again as
sources of stone and timber. The lands identified as Magan and Meluhha may have
changed since these names were first mentioned in the third millennium (Gelb
1970), but contact with India during this period is identified by Toussaint (1966), who
cites mention of Assurbanipal and Assyria in Indian historical documents. The final
mention of Dilmun came at the end of the Neo-Babylonian dynasty, An
administrative document dated to the eleventh year of Nabonidus (567 B.C.)
discussed the governorship of Dilmun as having been held by Nabopolassar (ca.
628 B.C.) or Nebuchadnezzar H (ca. 604-562 B.C.). Little concrete information
can be derived from these documents other than an approximate range of