In the earliest Sumerian sources, beginning c.2400 BC, the land of the Amorites (‘the Martu land’) is associated with the west, including Syria and Canaan. The ethnic terms Amurru and Amar were used for them in Assyria and Egypt respectively. A drought probably triggered their large-scale migration into Mesopotamia.
As the Ur III Empire collapsed, Mesopotamia became divided into a number of kingdoms, the most important being those of Isin and Larsa in the south; Assur and Eshnunna in the north. For about two centuries these two kingdoms coexisted, those in the south fighting each other for sovereignty over Sumer and Akkad; those in the north for the great trade routes across Upper Mesopotamia.
Isin overshadowed Larsa for almost a century. Naplanum had hardly more than the town he conquered; Ishbi-Erra had Nipper, Uruk and Eridu, and towards the end of his reign he recovered Ur. Iddin-Dagan (r.c.1910-c.1890 BC) occupied Sippar and advanced the frontier of the kingdom to Baghdad.
The supremacy of Isin continued until Gungunum of Larsa (r.c.1868-c.1861 BC) captured Ur and claimed sovereignty over Sumer and Akkad. A few years later Lagash, Susa and possibly Uruk fell into his hands. Enlil-bani (r.c.1798-c.1775 BC) managed to govern what little remained of the kingdom of Isin, while Nur-Adad of Larsa (r.c.1801-c.1785 BC) and Sin-iddinam of Larsa (r.c.1785-c.1778 BC) pushed northwards conquering city after city.
With the decline of Isin, large numbers of Amorites entered Iran and their chiefs became the kings of Kish, Uruk, Sippar and other towns. Sumuabum (r.c.1830-c.1817 BC) chose the city of Babylon, a few miles west of Kish.
An Elamite Kudur-Mabuk (r.c.1770-c.1754 BC) installed his two sons Warad-Sin (r.c.1770-c.1758 BC) and Rim-Sin-I (r.c.1758-c.1699 BC) as successive rulers of Larsa while he continued his military activities. In c.1730 BC Rim-Sin-I succeeded in taking Isin. Two years later Hammurabi (r.c.1728-c.1686 BC) ascended the throne of Babylon.
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