# 640s BC

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This article concerns the period **649 BC – 640 BC**.

## Events and trends

- [Assyrian](/source/Assyria) king [Ashurbanipal](/source/Ashurbanipal) founds a library, which includes the earliest complete copy of the *[Epic of Gilgamesh](/source/Epic_of_Gilgamesh)*.
- [649 BC](/source/649_BC) — [Indabigash](/source/Indabigash) succeeds [Tammaritu](/source/Tammaritu_II) as a king of the [Elamite Empire](/source/Elamite_Empire).
- [649 BC](/source/649_BC) — A [Babylonian](/source/Babylonia) revolt under [Shamash-shum-ukin](/source/Shamash-shum-ukin) is crushed by the [Assyrians](/source/Assyria).
- [648 BC](/source/648_BC) — [Pankration](/source/Pankration) becomes an event at the [Ancient Olympic Games](/source/Ancient_Olympic_Games).
- [April 6](/source/April_6), [648 BC](/source/648_BC)—Earliest [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greece)-chronicled [solar eclipse](/source/Solar_eclipse).
- [647 BC](/source/647_BC) — King [Assurbanipal](/source/Assurbanipal) of [Assyria](/source/Assyria) sacks [Susa](/source/Susa).
- c. 647 BC — The wall panel [Assurbanipal and his Queen in the garden](/source/Assurbanipal_and_his_Queen_in_the_garden), from the palace at [Nineveh](/source/Nineveh) (modern [Kuyunjik](/source/Kuyunjik), [Iraq](/source/Iraq)) is completed. It is now in The [British Museum](/source/British_Museum), London.[1]
- [645 BC](/source/645_BC) — In the [Chinese](/source/China) book of the *[Spring and Autumn Annals](/source/Spring_and_Autumn_Annals)*, it was recorded that on December 24 of this year there were five [meteors](/source/Meteor) seen in the sky over what is now northern Shanqiu County, [Henan Province](/source/Henan). It was the first Chinese recording of meteors.
- [641 BC](/source/641_BC) — [Tullus Hostilius](/source/Tullus_Hostilius) dies and [interregnum](/source/Interregnum) starts (traditional date).
- [640 BC](/source/640_BC) — Decisive victory of [Assyria](/source/Assyria) over [Elamite Empire](/source/Elamite_Empire); Ashurbanipal captures its last king [Khumma-Khaldash III](/source/Khumma-Khaldash_III), annexes Elam, and lays waste to the country.[2]

## Significant people

- [645 BC](/source/645_BC) — Death of [Guan Zhong](/source/Guan_Zhong), [Prime Minister](/source/Prime_Minister) of the [Chinese](/source/China) state of [Qi](/source/Qi_(state))
- [645 BC](/source/645_BC) — Death of [Archilochos](/source/Archilochos), [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greece) [poet](/source/Poet) (approximate date)
- [644 BC](/source/644_BC) — Death of [Gyges](/source/Gyges_of_Lydia), king of [Lydia](/source/Lydia)[3]
- [643 BC](/source/643_BC) — Death of [Manasseh of Judah](/source/Manasseh_of_Judah)
- [643 BC](/source/643_BC) — Death of [Duke Huan of Qi](/source/Duke_Huan_of_Qi) in China
- [641 BC](/source/641_BC) — [Josiah](/source/Josiah) becomes king of [Judah](/source/Kingdom_of_Judah)
- [640 BC](/source/640_BC) — Birth of [Stesichorus](/source/Stesichorus), Greek poet (approximate date)

## References

1. [the wall panel *Assurbanipal and his Queen in the garden*](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1856-0909-53), now in the [British Museum](/source/British_Museum)

1. Potts, D. T. (1999) "The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State" (Cambridge World Archaeology)

1. Spalinger, Anthony J. (1978). ["The Date of the Death of Gyges and Its Historical Implications"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/599752). *Journal of the American Oriental Society*. **98** (4): 400–409. [doi:10.2307/599752](https://doi.org/10.2307/599752). Retrieved 25 October 2021.

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