Abdi-Ashirta

Who is Abdi-Ashirta?

Abdi-Ashirta was the ruler of Amurru who was in conflict with King Rib-Hadda of Byblos.

Amurru was then a new kingdom in southern Syria subject to nominal Egyptian control. Rib-Hadda complained bitterly to Pharaoh Akhenaten — in the Amarna letters — of Abdi-Ashirta's attempts to carve out a larger kingdom for himself at the former's expense. Abdi-Ashirta's death is mentioned in EA 101 by Rib-Hadda in a letter to Akhenaten. Unfortunately for Rib-Hadda, Abdi-Ashirta was succeeded by his equally capable son Aziru, who would later capture, exile and likely kill Rib-Hadda. Aziru subsequently defected to the Hittites, which caused Egypt to lose control over her northern border province of Amurru which Aziru controlled.