If, however, the colophon-date be right, and Rîm-Sin was really made prisoner, he must either have escaped, or been set at liberty again, for Samsu-iluna, son of Ḫammurabi, when he became king, had apparently [pg 218] to resist another attack on the part of that ruler, who seems to have been captured, and “(? burnt) alive in his palace.”
With regard to the names Eri-Aku and Rîm-Sin, one Sumero-Akkadian, and the other Semitic, the former means, as was thought from the first, “Servant of the Moon-god,” whilst the sense of the latter, as is made clear by the variant spelling in the new Babylonian chronicle, is “Sin's (the Moon-god's) wild bull.” A similar name is that of Rîm-Anu, another king of Larsa—“Anu's (the Heaven-god's) wild bull.” These are paralleled by such names as Bûr-Sin, “Sin's young steer,” in which the bearer is compared with a strong and willing animal of service. Possibly the substitution of the word for “wild bull” in Rîm-Sin and Rîm-Anu is symbolical of reckless courage.
Very little is known of the state of which Larsa (in Sumero-Akkadian Ararma) was the capital. It is interesting to note, however, that this city was a centre of the worship of the Sun-god Šamaš, as was also Sippar (now Abu-habbah). The temple in both cities bore the same name, Ê-bara (-para) or Ê-babbara (-barbara), “the house of brilliant light.” With the exception of Eri-Aku or Arioch, whose name is Sumero-Akkadian, all the rulers have Semitic names—Rîm-Anu, Nûr-Rammāni or Nûr-Addi, “light of Rimmon” or “of Hadad,” Sin-idinnam, “Sin has given,” and Rîm-Sin. If Eri-Aku was called, in the Semitic tongue, Arad-Sin, “Servant of Sin,” as is possible, this name must be added too, but in that case his identification with Arioch would be less probable. As he was of Elamite origin, his bearing a Sumero-Akkadian or a Semitic name was probably due to motives of policy, and one which, when written, could be read either way would give pleasure to both sections of the people, Sumero-Akkadian and Semitic.
The following inscriptions record architectural works of Kudur-mabuk, and his sons Eri-Aku and Rîm-Sin:—
Tablet Of Kudur-Mabuk Mentioning Eri-Aku.
| (Dingir) Nannara | To Nannara |
| lugala-ni-r | his king, |
| Kudur-mabuk | Kudur-mabuk, |
| adda kura Martu | father of Amoria, |
| dumu Simti-šilḫak | son of Simti-šilḫak. |
| Ud (dingir) Nannara | When Nannara |
| arazu-ni | his prayer |
| mu-igi-ginnā | received, |
| ne-zila-maḫa | ne-zila-maḫa |
| (dingir) Nannara-kam | for Nannara |
| nam-tila-ni-šu | for his life, |
| u nam-ti | and the life |
| Eri-Aku dumu-ni | of Eri-Aku, his son, |
| lugal Ararma-šu | king of Larsa, |
| munanindu. | he made. |
“To Nannara, his king, Kudur-mabuk, father of the land of the Amorites, son of Simti-šilḫak. When Nannara received his prayer he made for Nannara ne-zila-maḫa for his life and the life of his son Arioch, king of Larsa.”
Tablet Of Eri-Aku Mentioning Kudur-Mabuk, His Father.
| Eri-(dingir) Aku | Eri-Aku |
| uš kalagga | powerful hero |
| siba nig-zi | everlasting shepherd |
| ua Uri-(D. S.)-wa | installed by Bêl |
| (dingir) Ellilli garra | nourisher of Uriwa |
| lugal Arar-(D. S.)-ma | king of Larsa |
| lugal Kiengi-(D. S.)-Uragi | king of Šumer (and) Akkad |
| dumu Kudur-mabuk | son of Kudur-mabuk |
| Adda Emutbala-men | father of Yamutbālu am I. |
| Uriwa (D. S.) dagal-e-ne | In Uriwa broad, |
| mu maha dudune | possessing an exalted name, |
Col. II.