Amorites
The Amorites were the indigenous people of central inland and
northern Syria. They spoke a Semitic language related to modern
Hebrew. During the Early Bronze Age (3200-2000 BC), they developed
powerful states such as those centred on Ebla, Carchemish and
Aleppo. Enclosed behind large fortification walls, these cities had
elaborate palace and temple buildings. The Amorites maintained
close diplomatic and trading relations with cities in Mesopotamia
to the east and south. This contact is reflected in their art and
architecture which is often influenced by that of Mesopotamia. The
cuneiform writing system was also adopted from southern Mesopotamia
to write the local Semitic languages. In addition, however, the
Amorite city-states maintained trading links with Canaan and
Egypt.
Many cities in Syria, including Ebla were destroyed around 2300
BC, possibly as part of the military expansion of the kings of
Akkad from southern Mesopotamia. Recovery was swift, however, and
by the end of this period many Amorites had moved southwards along
the Euphrates river and settled throughout Mesopotamia By 1900 BC
dynasties of Amorite rulers had come to control many important
cities in this region, including Mari and Babylon, whose most
famous king was Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC).
During the second millennium, the Amorite population of Syria
fell under the control of the Hittite Empire, and only when this
empire collapsed in the twelfth century BC, did the Amorites
re-emerge as a vibrant and energetic people, known as the
Aramaeans.
Image caption: Hematite cylinder seal of
Habde-Adad
Old Babylonian Dynasty, about 19th century BC. From Mesopotamia