Shibtu

Shibtu or Shibtum (Šībtum, also spelled Shiptu(m); in Amorite language “the Old One,” perhaps meaning “the Eldest”) was the main wife of King Zimri-Lim and the main queen of Mari, an ancient city in present-day Syria, from approximately 1773 to 1761 BCE. She is well documented in the archives found in the Royal Palace of Mari, making her the best-known queen of the Old Babylonian period (ca. 2000–1600 BCE) and, more generally, one of the best documented queens of the ancient Near East.

A princess of the mighty Kingdom of Yamhad, whose capital was Aleppo, she became the wife of the king of Mari following his alliance with her father, Yarim-Lim I. Initially serving as a secondary queen in her husband’s harem, she subsequently became the true mistress of the royal household. She was then entrusted with significant responsibilities, notably ensuring the running of the royal household when her husband was absent from the capital, as well as overseeing ritual matters. However, she remained in a subordinate position, with little autonomy, that required her to report on her activities to her husband in detail and to await his orders before making important decisions, as evidenced by her correspondence.