society, institutions, law, and economy 67
the grain fields and storehouses in the aramaean settlement areas are
mentioned in assyrian annals. in the annals of adad-nirari ii we read
about the confiscation of the harvest stored in the cities. the annals of
assurnasirpal mention the storage of the harvest in the city.204 panamuwa
i and Bar-rakkab mention the cultivation of barley, wheat, and garlic in
Samʾal (Kai 214: 5–7; 215: 6). in addition to vegetable products (grain,
straw, bread, beer, occasionally wine), the assyrian annals205 enumerate
considerable numbers206 of oxen and sheep,207 often horses, and some-
times donkeys208 and poultry.209
horse breeding was of some importance to the aramaeans. tukulti-
ninurta arranged an agreement with the King of Bit Zamanni, according
to which he could not sell his horses to the enemies of assyria.210 arpad
was the most important center of horse breeding for the assyrians in the
7th century B.c.; Guzana followed as third or fourth in importance.211 we
know of the significance of Guzana for horse and mule breeding from the
clay tablet archive of the assyrian governor mannu-ki-aššur (8th century
B.c.), who resided there.212
in addition to the cultivation of grain, mainly hardy barley, which could
also grow during periods of drought, viniculture was also important. the
assyrians received wine as tribute from several regions, mainly northern
Syria.213 Viniculture is confirmed for the region north of damascus and
204 Lipiński 2000a: 517 with nn. 6–9 hints at the annals in rima 2, a.0.92.2, p. 149,
43b–44; a.0.101.1, p. 211, ii 117b–118a; rima 3, a. 0.102.5, p. 29, iii 4a; Fuchs 1994: 149, 330,
ann. 289.
205 Lipiński 2000a: 517 with nn. 10–13 hints at the annals of tukulti-ninurta in rima 2,
a.0.100.5, pp. 85, 86, 88, 91–92, 101, 103, and 175–177; rima 3 a.0.102.1, p. 11, 95’.
206 the numbers are probably not exact. it is striking that often ten times more sheep
than oxen are mentioned. For example, Shalmaneser iii received 300 oxen and 3000
sheep from Samʾal; 500 oxen and 5000 sheep from Bit agusi; rima 3, a.0.102.2, p. 18, ii
25, 27; dion 1997: 331 with n. 23.
207 Lipiński 2000a: 518f with nn. 29–31. rima 2, a.0.100.5, pp. 85, 86, 88, 91–92, 101,
103, 175–177; rima 3 a.0.102.1, p. 11, 95’; rima 3, a.0.102.2, p. 18, ii 25, 27.
208 the description of aram-damascus as ša-imērīšu, “land of his donkeys,” hints not
at donkey breeding in damascus, but at the significance of the city as a trade center for
donkey caravans. while camels were suitable for transport in the desert, donkeys were
more suitable for passage through the mountains of the anti-Lebanon and Lebanon to the
coast; cf. Lipiński 2000a: 347 and Klengel 2000: 24.
209 dion 1997: 344f.
210 rima 2, a.0.100.5, pp. 23–25, 171–172, and Szuchman 2009: 57.
211 weidner 1940 = 1967: 2; Lipiński 2000a: 517 with nn. 17 and 18 and Lipiński 2010:
36f with hint on Saa Xiii 90 (89), rev. 1, 100, rev. 3: 111,11.
212 weidner 1940 = 1967: nos. 1, 3, 16, 38. Lipiński 2000a: 517 hints at an aramaean
contract.
213 dion 1997: 336.