With the third lecture began a description of life in the kingdom of Babylon during what can be called the "long 17th century", from 1711 to 1595, i.e. including the period when the throne was occupied by Ammi-ṣaduqa and Samsu-ditana; the event-related aspects of these two reigns were examined in the final lecture. First, what we know about the king and his entourage was outlined, followed by an analysis of the provincial administration before moving on to the study of local structures.
From an institutional point of view, power in17th-century Mesopotamia could be described as a monarchy of divine right: on this point, things had not changed since the period of Hammu-rabi. The king derived his legitimacy in two ways. Firstly, from his dynastic affiliation, as emphasized by Abi-ešuh in an inscription in which he defines himself as "descendant of Sumu-la-El, the princely heir of Samsu-iluna, eternal seed of royalty, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad" (RIME 4, p. 405no. 1). Abi-ešuh cites the founder of the dynasty, then his father; Hammu-rabi is mentioned in the rest of the inscription only because this king was the first builder of the building whose restoration is commemorated. In another inscription, Ammi-ṣaduqa emphasizes his birthright: "Ammi-ṣaduqa, the mighty king, king of Babylon, who prays to the brilliant one (= Ištar as Venus), first-born of Ammi-ditana..." (RIME 4, p. 426no. 1). The second type of legitimization is theological. Thus, in the founding inscription of a fortress bearing his name, Ammi-ditana emphasized the divine origin of his power: "[... the gods Anu and Enlil] have decreed with their pure mouths that I raise (high) my head and that no ruler rises against my reign. The gods Šamaš and Marduk, who love my reign, have made my kingship surpass the four shores and have entrusted me entirely with the leadership of the people of the 'black heads'" (RIME 4, p. 413no. 2).
