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56-475: The origins of the First Babylonian dynasty are hard to pinpoint because Babylon itself yields few archaeological materials intact due to a high water table . The evidence that survived throughout the years includes written records such as royal and votive inscriptions, literary texts, and lists of year-names. The minimal amount of evidence in economic and legal documents makes it difficult to illustrate

112-643: A destruction dated to around the 27th year of the reign of Samsu-iluna , son of Hammurabi , based on tablets found there. Later, the Kassites who took over in Babylon after its sack in 1531 BC, resumed building at Isin. Activity was primarily at the Gula temple and it appears that in that period Isin was only a cult center. The final significant stage of activity occurred during the Second Dynasty of Isin at

168-415: A great lyre for him, which ... the heart. He dedicated it [for his own] life. The name of this lyre is 'Isbi-Erra trusts in the god Enlil'." The Isin I dynasty lasted over two centuries. Its most powerful period was early on. With the rise of Larsa and a number of smaller Amorite city-states, the influence of Isin slowly declined. A notable ruler was Ishme-Dagan for whom a number of hymns were written, in

224-478: A role in the royal power of old Babylonia. Shamash was the god of the sun, of justice, and of divination, as was mentioned in the Code of Hammurabi. The text states, "May the god Shamash, the great judge of heaven and Earth, who provides just ways for all living creatures, the lord, my trust, overturn his kingship." Shamash was considered to have an influence on Hammurabi, and represented the concept that he will execute

280-410: A style thought to be imitative of Shulgi , the ruler of Ur III. The exact events surrounding Isin's disintegration as a kingdom are mostly unknown, but some evidence can be pieced together. Documents indicate that access to water sources presented a huge problem for Isin. Isin also endured an internal coup of a sort when Gungunum the royally appointed governor of Larsa and Lagash province, seized

336-466: A year. The city lay on the Isinnitum Canal, part of a set of waterways that connected the cities of Mesopotamia. The patron deity of Isin was Nintinuga (Gula) goddess of healing, and a temple to her was built there. The Isin king Enlil-bani reported building a temple to Gula named E-ni-dub-bi, a temple for Sud named E-dim-gal-an-na, a temple E-ur-gi-ra to Ninisina , as well as a temple for

392-426: A zone of saturation is reached. Below the water table, in the phreatic zone (zone of saturation), layers of permeable rock that yield groundwater are called aquifers . In less permeable soils, such as tight bedrock formations and historic lakebed deposits, the water table may be more difficult to define. “Water table” and “ water level ” are not synonymous. If a deeper aquifer has a lower permeable unit that confines

448-411: Is groundwater that has remained in an aquifer for several millennia and occurs mainly in deserts . It is non-renewable by present-day rainfall due to its depth below the surface, and any extraction causes a permanent change in the water table in such regions. Most crops need a water table at a minimum depth. For some important food and fiber crops a classification was made because at shallower depths

504-588: Is known to have been occupied during the Akkadian Empire . An intensive building program began at Isin during the Ur III empire in the late 3rd millennium BC. WIth the fall of Ur, an Amorite dynasty took power in the city, during the Isin-Larsa period . The city then fell to Babylon and suffered a period of abandonment. Activity resumed under the Kassites , followed by a period of local control. Isin

560-477: Is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of the ancient city of Nippur . The site covers an area of about 150 hectares with a maximum height of about 10 meters. By 1922 the site had been suggested as that of Isin. Ishan al-Bahriyat was visited by Stephen Herbert Langdon for a day to conduct a sounding, while he was excavating at Kish in 1924. He found inscribed bricks of Ishme-Dagan and Enlil-bani . Two years later Raymond P. Dougherty, on behalf of

616-626: Is that they did not add much to the size of the territory. When the Amorite king Hammurabi came into power, his military victories were successful in gaining more land for the Empire. However, Babylon was just one of the several important powers among Isin and Larsa . The accomplishments of the first known king of the Dynasty, Sumuabum , include his efforts in expanding Babylonian territory by conquering Dilbat and Kish . His successor, Sumualailum,

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672-461: Is the upper surface of the zone of saturation . The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with groundwater , which may be fresh, saline, or brackish, depending on the locality. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. The water table is the surface where the water pressure head is equal to the atmospheric pressure (where gauge pressure = 0). It may be visualized as

728-463: The Hittites under Mursilis I (at the end of Samsuditana 's reign over Babylon) tells a story about a twin eclipse — which is crucial for a correct Babylonian chronology. The pair of lunar and solar eclipses occurred in the month of Shimanu ( Sivan ). The lunar eclipse took place on February 9, 1659 BC. It started at 4:43 a.m. and ended at 6:47 a.m. The latter was invisible, which satisfies

784-576: The Ninurta shrine of the Gula temple, was an alabaster mace head of the Akkadian Empire ruler Manishtushu inscribed "Man-istusu, king of the world, dedicated (this mace) to the goddess Ninisina". An inscription of Takil-ilissu, ruler of Malgium was also found. Early find included a Jemdet Nasr stamp seal and a small stone lion figurine of the Uruk period. The primary focus of the excavations

840-401: The "surface" of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. The groundwater may be from precipitation or from groundwater flowing into the aquifer. In areas with sufficient precipitation, water infiltrates through pore spaces in the soil, passing through the unsaturated zone. At increasing depths, water fills in more of the pore spaces in the soils, until

896-497: The 2nd dynasty of Isin, dedicated to the healing goddess Nin-ezena was also found. On another section of the main mound 3rd millennium BC buildings provided "gold jewellery, bronze weapons, cylinder seals, and a few cuneiform tablets of which two date back to the Early Dynastic period", a clay nail of Isme-Dagan referring to construction of the bad-gal "Great Wall" city wall of Isin and an inscribed brick of Ur-du-kuga . In

952-549: The American Schools of Oriental Research, conducted a two-day survey of the site finding inscribed bricks of Bur-Sin and Neo-Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II . Modern archaeological work at Isin was accomplished in 11 seasons between 1973 and 1989 by a team of German archaeologists led by Barthel Hrouda on behalf of the Munich Institute for Near Eastern Archaeology. Hundreds of cuneiform tablets from

1008-719: The Elder Siamun Psusennes II Twenty-third Dynasty of Egypt Harsiese A Takelot II Pedubast I Shoshenq VI Osorkon III Takelot III Rudamun Menkheperre Ini Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt Tefnakht Bakenranef ( Sargonid dynasty ) Tiglath-Pileser Shalmaneser Marduk-apla-iddina II Sargon Sennacherib Marduk-zakir-shumi II Marduk-apla-iddina II Bel-ibni Ashur-nadin-shumi Nergal-ushezib Mushezib-Marduk Esarhaddon Ashurbanipal Ashur-etil-ilani Sinsharishkun Sin-shumu-lishir Ashur-uballit II Water table The water table

1064-603: The Empire lost territory and money, and faced great degradation. The attacks from Hittites who were trying to expand outside of Anatolia eventually led to the destruction of Babylon . The Kassite Period then followed the First Babylonian Dynasty, ruling from 1570 to 1154 BC. By the time of Babylon's fall the Kassites had already been part of the region for a century and a half, acting sometimes with Babylon's interests and sometimes against. The sun played

1120-578: The Kassite layer an Early Dynastic III statue, 16.5 cm in height, of a kneeling man wearing only a triple belt. Just to the south of the temple complex two Early Dynastic I period buildings were found. The site of Isin was occupied at least as early as the Ubaid period based on pottery shards. Significant occupation began in the Early Dynastic period in early to middle 3rd millennium BC. Isin

1176-739: The List seems to lead up to the Isin Dynasty itself, which would give it much legitimacy in the minds of the people because the dynasty would then be linked to earlier (albeit sometimes legendary) kings. The Sumerian King List (SKL) gives a list of the rulers of only one dynasty of Isin. The first Sealand , Kassite , and second Isin dynasties are known from the Babylonian King List (BKL) . The following list should not be considered complete: r.  c. 1953 – c. 1921 BC ( SC ) (32 or 33 years) "Then Ur

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1232-715: The Old Babylonian period, in buildings abandoned after being destroyed by fire, were recovered. However, as was the case at many sites in Iraq, research was interrupted by the Gulf War (1990–1991) and the Iraq War (2003 to 2011). Since the end of excavations, extensive looting is reported to have resumed at the site. Even when the German team began their work, the site had already been heavily looted. A significant find, in

1288-562: The Syro-Mesopotamian region. These documents survived because Hammurabi had burned the palace down — which buried the material, thus preserving it. War was a common occurrence for the kingdoms in Syria and Mesopotamia, so the majority of the documents from that era were in regard to military affairs. The documents included letters written by the messengers of the kings, discussing conflicts, divine oaths, agreements, and treaties between

1344-443: The aquifer and the permeability of the material. The water table does not always mimic the topography due to variations in the underlying geological structure (e.g., folded, faulted, fractured bedrock). A perched water table (or perched aquifer) is an aquifer that occurs above the regional water table. This occurs when there is an impermeable layer of rock or sediment ( aquiclude ) or relatively impermeable layer ( aquitard ) above

1400-418: The capillary effect ( capillary fringe ) in soils , sediments and other porous media . In the aquifer, groundwater flows from points of higher pressure to points of lower pressure, and the direction of groundwater flow typically has both a horizontal and a vertical component. The slope of the water table is known as the “hydraulic gradient”, which depends on the rate at which water is added to and removed from

1456-474: The city of Ur. Ur had been the main center of the Gulf trade; thus this move economically devastated Isin. Additionally, Gungunum's two successors Abisare and Sumuel ( c.  1905 BC and 1894 BC) both sought to cut Isin off from its canals by rerouting them into Larsa. At some point, Nippur was also lost. Isin would never recover. Around 1860 BC, an outsider named Enlil-bani seized the throne of Isin, ending

1512-463: The crop suffers a yield decline. A water table close to the surface affects excavation, drainage, foundations, wells and leach fields (in areas without municipal water and sanitation), and more. When excavation occurs near enough to the water table to reach its capillary action, groundwater must be removed during construction. This is conspicuous in Berlin , which is built on sandy, marshy ground, and

1568-527: The dates of many older sourcebooks seem to be outdated and incorrect. There are further difficulties: the 21-year span of the detailed observations of the planet Venus may or may not coincide with the reign of this king, because his name is not mentioned, only the Year of the Golden Throne. A few sources, some printed almost a century ago, claim that the original text mentions an occultation of Venus by

1624-412: The economic and social history of the First Babylonian Dynasty, but with historical events portrayed in literature and the existence of year-name lists, it is possible to establish a chronology. With little evidence on hand, there is not much known about the reigns of the kings from Sumuabum through Sin-muballit — other than the fact they were Amorites rather than Akkadians . What is known, however,

1680-627: The end of the 2nd millennium, most notably by king Adad-apla-iddina . Isin remained occupied at least as late as the second decade of the reign of the Persian ruler Darius I (c 507 BC), then in the control of the region. Of the at least 256 ruler year names about 75% have been found. Most have the standard format, aside from Bur-Sin who numbered his years. These year names combined with new tablet joins show that there were two additional rulers, Sumu-abum and Ikūn-pī-Išta, slotting in between Erra-imittī and Enlil-bān. The reign of Sumu-abum lasted less than

1736-552: The era, "Dipilirabi", is also known as "Dipilirapi".). The Code of Hammurabi — one of the oldest written laws in history, and one of the most famous ancient texts from the Near East, and among the best known artifacts of the ancient world — is from the first Babylonian dynasty. The code is written in cuneiform on a 2.25 meter (7 foot 4½ inch) diorite stele. At the top, it portrays the Babylonian king receiving his kingship from

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1792-628: The formidable power of Eshnunna , inheriting its well-established trade routes and the economic stability that came along with them. It was not long before Hammurabi's armies took Assyria and parts of the Zagros Mountains . Eventually in 1761 BC, Babylon gained control over Mari , making up virtually all the territory of Mesopotamia that had been under the Third Dynasty of Ur . During Hammurabi's thirtieth year as king, he conquered Larsa from Rim-Sin I , thus, gaining control over

1848-402: The god Ninbgal. Ishbi-Erra continued many of the cultic practices that had flourished in the preceding Ur III period. He continued acting out the sacred marriage ritual each year. During this ritual, the king played the part of the mortal Dumuzi , and he had sex with a priestess who represented the goddess of love and war, Inanna (also known as Ishtar ). This was thought to strengthen

1904-475: The hereditary dynasty established by Ishbi-Erra over 150 years earlier. Although politically and economically weak, Isin maintained its independence from Larsa for at least another forty years, ultimately succumbing to Larsa's ruler Rim-Sin I . After the First Dynasty of Babylon rose to power in the early 2nd millennium and captured Larsa, much significant construction occurred at Isin. This ended with

1960-424: The history and diplomacy of the first Babylonian dynasty during Hammurabi's reign. The archives of Hammurabi at the site of Babylon cannot be recovered, since its remains are under the local water table, and have practically turned to mud. But Zimri-Lim's palace at Mari held an archive that included letters and other texts that provide insight into the alliance between the king and Hammurabi, as well as other leaders in

2016-528: The king's relationship to the gods, which would then bring stability and prosperity on the entire country. The Isin kings continued also the practice of appointing their daughters official priestesses of the moon god of Ur. The literature of the period also continued in the line of the Ur III traditions when the Isin dynasty was first begun. For example, the royal hymn, a genre started in the preceding millennium,

2072-515: The land (in order to attain) appropriate behavior, I established truth and justice as the declaration of the land, I enhanced the well-being of the people." It then goes on to detail the laws of just punishment for crimes and provide rules for his people to abide by. King Hammurabi ruled Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BC. When he first came to power, the empire only consisted of a few towns in the area near Babylon: Dilbat , Sippar , Kish , and Borsippa . By 1762 BC, Hammurabi managed to succeed in capturing

2128-442: The late 4th millennium Uruk period up until at least the late 1st millennium BC Neo-Babylonian period. It lies about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of the modern city of Al Diwaniyah . The tutelary deity of Isin, dating back to at least the Early Dynastic period , was the healing goddess Gula with a major temple (, E-gal-ma) sited there as well as smaller installations for the related gods of Ninisina and Sud . Isin

2184-531: The laws of justice on land just as Shamash does in his role as a god. A recent translation of the Chogha Gavaneh tablets from modern-day Iran, which date back to 1800 BC, indicates close contacts between Babylon and the town at the site of present-day Chogha Gavaneh, which is located in the intermontane valley of modern Islamabad in Iran's central Zagros and Dyala region. A text about the fall of Babylon by

2240-504: The lucrative urban centers of Nippur , Ur , Uruk , and Isin . Hammurabi was one of the most notable kings of the first Babylonian dynasty because of his success in gaining control over Southern Mesopotamia and establishing Babylon as the center of his Empire. Babylon would then come to dominate Mesopotamia for over a thousand years. Zimri-Lim, king of the nearby polity of Mari , plays a significant role for modern historians. He contributed immense amounts of historical writing that describe

2296-435: The main water table/aquifer but below the land surface. If a perched aquifer's flow intersects the surface, at a valley wall, for example, the water is discharged as a spring . On low-lying oceanic islands with porous soil, freshwater tends to collect in lenticular pools on top of the denser seawater intruding from the sides of the islands. Such an island's freshwater lens, and thus the water table, rises and falls with

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2352-2481: The moon. However, this may be a misinterpretation. Modern calculations support the year of 1659 BC for the fall of Babylon, based on the statistical probability of the planet's observations. The presently-accepted middle chronology is too low from the astronomical point of view. r.  c. 1830 – c. 1817 BC ( SC ) (14 years) r.  c. 1817 – c. 1781 BC (SC) (36 years) r.  c. 1781 – c. 1767 BC (SC) (14 years) r.  c. 1767 – c. 1749 BC (SC) (17 years) r.  c. 1748 – c. 1729 BC (SC) (19 years) r.  c. 1648 – c. 1620 BC (SC) (28 years) r.  c. 1620 – c. 1583 BC (SC) (37 years) r.  c. 1582 – c. 1562 BC (SC) (21 years) r.  c. 1562 – c. 1531 BC (SC) (31 years) ( Shamshi-Adad dynasty 1808–1736 BCE) (Amorites) Shamshi-Adad I Ishme-Dagan I Mut-Ashkur Rimush Asinum Ashur-dugul Ashur-apla-idi Nasir-Sin Sin-namir Ipqi-Ishtar Adad-salulu Adasi (Non-dynastic usurpers 1735–1701 BCE) Puzur-Sin Ashur-dugul Ashur-apla-idi Nasir-Sin Sin-namir Ipqi-Ishtar Adad-salulu Adasi ( Adaside dynasty 1700–722 BCE) Bel-bani Libaya Sharma-Adad I Iptar-Sin Bazaya Lullaya Shu-Ninua Sharma-Adad II Erishum III Shamshi-Adad II Ishme-Dagan II Shamshi-Adad III Ashur-nirari I Puzur-Ashur III Enlil-nasir I Nur-ili Ashur-shaduni Ashur-rabi I Ashur-nadin-ahhe I Enlil-Nasir II Ashur-nirari II Ashur-bel-nisheshu Ashur-rim-nisheshu Ashur-nadin-ahhe II Second Intermediate Period Sixteenth Dynasty Abydos Dynasty Seventeenth Dynasty (1500–1100 BCE) Kidinuid dynasty Igehalkid dynasty Untash-Napirisha Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt Smendes Amenemnisu Psusennes I Amenemope Osorkon

2408-557: The powers. There is also little that is known about the kings who succeeded Hammurabi. The kings from Samsuiluna to Samsuditana have very few records of the occurrences during their reigns. However, we do know that Samsuiluna was successful in beating Rim-Sîn II , but nevertheless lost major parts of Babylon's conquered land — only having real authority over the core of the Babylonian territory left from Hammurabi's reign. The kings who succeeded Samsuiluna would face similar turmoil. The first Babylonian dynasty eventually came to an end as

2464-424: The record, and which also tells that the moon was still in eclipse. The solar eclipse occurred on February 23, 1659 BC. It started at 10:26 a.m., has its maximum at 11:45 a.m., and ended at 1:04 p.m. The Venus tablets of Ammisaduqa (i.e., several ancient versions on clay tablets) are also well-known, and several books had been published about them. Several dates have been offered for their events, but

2520-404: The sun god Shamash ; on the bottom is the collection of written laws. The text itself explains how Hammurabi came to power and created a set of laws to ensure justice throughout his territory — emphasizing that these are the divine roles that were given to him. Before presenting the laws written in the Code, Hammurabi states, "When the god Marduk commanded me to provide just ways for the people of

2576-479: The tides. In some regions, for example, Great Britain or California , winter precipitation is often higher than summer precipitation and so the groundwater storage is not fully recharged in summer. Consequently, the water table is lower during the summer. This disparity between the level of the winter and summer water table is known as the "zone of intermittent saturation", wherein the water table will fluctuate in response to climatic conditions. Fossil water

2632-512: The upward flow, then the water level in this aquifer may rise to a level that is greater or less than the elevation of the actual water table. The elevation of the water in this deeper well is dependent upon the pressure in the deeper aquifer and is referred to as the potentiometric surface , not the water table. The water table may vary due to seasonal changes such as precipitation and evapotranspiration . In undeveloped regions with permeable soils that receive sufficient amounts of precipitation,

2688-425: The walls and began building canals. However, Sin-muballit is known for his successful defeats of Rim-Sin I, which protected Babylon from further invasion. Sin-muballit would then pass on the role of king to his son, Hammurabi . Hammurabi is also at times referred to as "Hammurapi" in ancient texts, including multiple primary-source Babylonian letters. This is a common phenomenon in Amorite names. (Another Amorite of

2744-682: The water table is generally 2 meters below the surface. Pink and blue pipes can often be seen carrying groundwater from construction sites into the Spree river (or canals). Isin Isin ( Sumerian : 𒉌𒋛𒅔𒆠 , romanized:  I 3 -si-in , modern Arabic : Ishan al-Bahriyat ) is an archaeological site in Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate , Iraq which was the location of the Ancient Near East city of Isin, occupied from

2800-409: The water table typically slopes toward rivers that act to drain the groundwater away and release the pressure in the aquifer. Springs , rivers , lakes and oases occur when the water table reaches the surface. Groundwater entering rivers and lakes accounts for the base-flow water levels in water bodies. Within an aquifer, the water table is rarely horizontal, but reflects the surface relief due to

2856-493: Was able to complete the wall around Babylon that Sumuabum had begun constructing. Sumualailum was also able to defeat rebellions in Kish and became successful in the destruction of Kazallu, and even had brief control over Nippur (though it did not last). There is little information available about the reigns of Sabium , Apil-Sin and Sin-muballit, other than that they continued ruling the conquered territory, as well as strengthening

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2912-569: Was continued. Many royal hymns written for the Isin rulers mirrored the themes, structure, and language of the Ur ones. Sometimes the hymns were written in the first person of a king's voice; other times, they were pleas of ordinary citizens meant for the ears of a king (sometimes an already dead one). It was during this period that the Sumerian King List attained its final form, though it used many much earlier sources. The very compilation of

2968-2085: Was defeated. The very foundation of Sumer was torn out. The kingship was taken to Isin." r.  c. 1920 – c. 1911 BC (SC) (10, 15, or 20 years) r.  c. 1910 – c. 1890 BC (SC) (18, 21, or 25 years) r.  c. 1889 – c. 1871 BC (SC) (11, 18, 19, or 20 years) r.  c. 1870 – c. 1860 BC (SC) (11 years) r.  c. 1859 – c. 1832 BC (SC) (28 years) r.  c. 1831 – c. 1811 BC (SC) (21 or 22 years) r.  c. 1810 – c. 1806 BC (SC) (5 years) r.  c. 1805 – c. 1799 BC (SC) (7 or 8 years) r.  c. 1799 – c. 1798 BC (SC) (6 months or 1 year) r.  c. 1798 – c. 1775 BC (SC) (24 years) r.  c. 1774 – c. 1772 BC (SC) (3 years) r.  c. 1771 – c. 1768 BC (SC) (3 or 4 years) r.  c. 1767 – c. 1764 BC (SC) (4 years) r.  c. 1763 – c. 1753 BC (SC) (11 years) r.  c. 1752 – c. 1730 BC (SC) (23 years) "16 kings; they ruled for 226 years and 6 months. A total of 39 kings ruled for 14,409 years, 3 months and 3½ days, 4 times in Kish . A total of 22 kings ruled for 2,610 years, 6 months, and 15 days, 5 times in Uruk . A total of 12 kings ruled for 396 years, 3 times in Ur . A total of 3 kings ruled for 356 years, once in Awan . A total of 1 king ruled for 7 years, once in Hamazi . A total of 11 kings ruled for 197 years, once in Akkad . A total of 23 kings ruled for 125 years and 40 days, once in

3024-532: Was occupied to various degrees until the Neo-Babylonian period. With the final decline of the Ur III empire at the end of the third millennium BC, a power vacuum was left that other city-states scrambled to fill. Ishbi-Erra , said to be an Amorite, from Mari , and an Ur III official under its final ruler Ibbi-Sin , gained rulership of Isin and began the First Dynasty of Isin . The Elamites had attacked Isin and Ur, capturing Ur. One of Ishbi-Erra's acts

3080-400: Was the four meter wide wall enclosed Gula temple complex. The complex showed construction through at least the Isin I, Kassite, and Neo-Babylonian periods with 3rd millennium BC finds suggested its earlier existence. Finds included 30 dog burials, copper pendants inscribed with dog images, and clay dog figurines, one with a prayer to Gula. An inscribed brick of Adad-apla-iddina , 8th ruler of

3136-531: Was to expel the Elamites from Ur and the region, his year name being "Year (Iszbi-Irra the king) brought out of Ur, with his strong weapon, the Elamite who was dwelling in its midst". Although the Sumerian King List gives a 33-year reign for Ishbi-Erra only one royal inscription has been found. "For the god Enlil, lord of the foreign lands, his lord, Isbi-Err[a], mighty king, lord of <his> land, fashioned

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