Niqmepa, King of Alalakh
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Family
Niqmepa was the son of Idrimi. He may have been a brother of Addu-Nirari.
Reign
Accession
Not much is known about how Niqmepa came to power. Apparently, he was a son of Idrimi. Also a certain Addu-Nirari is mentioned as son and heir to Idrimi. This makes the order of succession unclear. It is possible that Idrimi was succeeded by Addu-Nirari and then Niqmepa.
For signing some of his documents, Niqmepa used the Royal Seal of his ancestor Abba-El II as a dynastic seal.[2] Abba-El II was the king of Halab (formerly Yamhad) in the 16th century BC.
Vassalage of Mitanni
The Kingdom of Mukish (Alalakh IV) was a vassal of the Mitanni Empire. Niqmepa appears to have been subject to the Mitanni king Shaushtatar as his overlord. Mitanni was competing with Egypt for dominance in Syria (contemporary kings Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV).
Dispute between Kizzuwatna and Mukish
A dispute between king Sunassura of Kizzuwatna and Niqmepa of Alalakh was adjudicated by Shaushtatar. This is recorded on two tablets (AIT 13 and AIT 14) that were found at Alalakh.[3] They provide an important synchronism for establishing the timelines of these ruling dynasties.[4]
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