The Sumerian King List and The Great Flood

Reflecting the Sumerian perceptions of their own historical development, the king list divided into
two parts. The first described how kingship first descended to the earth from the gods hundreds of
thousands of years ago, first to the city of Eridu.
After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridu.
n Eridu, Alulim !ecame king" he ruled for #$,$%% &ears.
Alalgar ruled for '(,%%% &ears.
Two kings" the& ruled for ()$%% &ears.
Then Eridu fell and the kingship was taken to *ad+ti!ira.
n *ad+ti!ira, Enmen+lu+ana ruled for )',#%% &ears.
Enmen+gal+ana ruled for #$,$%% &ears.
The divine ,umu-i, the shepherd, ruled for '(,%%% &ears.
Three kings" the& ruled for .%$,%%% &ears.
Then *ad+ti!ira fell and the kingship was taken to Larak.
n Larak, En+sipad+-id+ana ruled for #$,$%% &ears.
/ne king" he ruled for #$,$%% &ears.
Then Larak fell and the kingship was taken to Sippar.
n Sippar, Enmen+dur+ana !ecame king" he ruled for #.,%%% &ears.
/ne king" he ruled for #.%%% &ears.
Then Sippar fell and the kingship was taken to 0uruppak.
n 0uruppak, 1!ara+Tutu !ecame king" he ruled for .$,(%% &ears.
/ne king" he ruled for .$,(%% &ears
At this point, the list summarizes all the earlier history !"ive cities# eight kings ruled for $%&,'(( years! and then
baldly announces, !Then the "lood swept over.!
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The story of a great flood that nearly destroyed humanity was one of the earliest tales written down by the Sumerians
and was common knowledge among all the peoples of ancient )esopotamia. According to the socalled Eridu
Genesis, the earliest version so far discovered of the Sumerian myth of creation, the gods, having become annoyed by
the !noise! made by the human beings they had created, had apparently decided to destroy humanity by flooding the
earth. *nly one pious man, +iasudra, or +arathustra, and his family survived the flood, thanks to the warning and
probable advice of the god Enki. Enki, who disagreed with the verdict of his fellow gods, apparently warned +iasudra
of the coming deluge and instructed him to build a great boat in which to save two of each species of plant, animal,
and of course human beings until the floodwaters eventually receded from the earth. Assuming that readers would
understand the reference to the "lood, the Sumerian kinglist then picks up with a second descent of kingship from
heaven,
After the Flood had swept over, and the kingship had descended from heaven, the kingship was in Ki5....
Twent&+three kings ruled for #','.% &ears, ' months, and ' .3# da&s.
Then Ki5 was defeated and the kingship was taken to Eanna.
n Eanna, 6e5+ki7ag+ga5er, son of 1tu, !ecame lord and king" he ruled for '#) &ears. 6e5+ki7ag+ ga5er
entered the sea and disappeared.
Enmekar, son of 6e5+ki7ag+ga5er, the king of 1ruk, who !uilt 1ruk, !ecame king" he ruled for )#% &ears.
The divine Lugal+!anda, the shepherd, ruled for .#%% &ears.
The divine ,umu-i, the fisherman, whose cit& was Ku7ara, ruled for .%%.
Gilgame5, whose father was an invisi!le !eing, the lord of Kula!a, ruled for .#( &ears.
1r+8ungal, son of the divine Gilgame5, ruled for '% &ears....
Twelve kings ruled for #'.% &ears.
Then 1ruk was defeated and the kingship was taken to 1r....
Four kings ruled for .99 &ears.
Then 1r was defeated and the kingship was taken to Awan....
Three kings ruled for ':( &ears.
Then Awan was defeated and the kingship was taken to Ki5....
Eight kings the& ruled for '.;:
sic
&ears.
Then Ki5 was defeated and the kingship was taken to <ama-i.
n <ama-i, <atani5 !ecame king" he ruled for '(% &ears.
/ne king ruled for '(% &ears.
Then <ama-i was defeated and the kingship was taken to 1ruk....
Three kings ruled for .$9 &ears.
Then 1ruk was defeated and the kingship was taken to 1r....
Then 1r was defeated and the kingship was taken to Ada!....
Then Ada! was defeated and the kingship was taken to 6ari....
Si= kings ruled for .'( &ears.
Then 6ari was defeated and the kingship was taken to Ki5.
n Ki5, Ku+*a!a, the woman tavern+keeper, who made firm the foundations of Ki5, !ecame king" she ruled
for .%% &ears.
/ne >ueen ruled for .%% &ears.
Then Ki5 was defeated and the kingship was taken to Ak5ak....
Si= kings ruled for ;' &ears.
Then Ak5ak was defeated and the kingship was taken to Ki5....
Seven kings ruled for );. &ears.
Then Ki5 was defeated and the kingship was taken to 1ruk.
n 1ruk, Lugal-agesi !ecame king" he ruled for #: &ears. ?#').+#'.(@
/ne king ruled for #: &ears.
Then 1ruk was defeated and the kingship was taken to Agade.
n Agade, Sargon, whose father was a gardener, the cup!earer of 1r+Aa!a!a, !ecame king, the king of
Agade, who !uilt Agade" he ruled for :( &ears. ?#'':+##9;@
Bimu5, son of Sargon, ruled for ; &ears. ?##9;+##9%@
6ani5tu5u, the older !rother of Bimu5, son of Sargon, ruled for .: &ears. ?##9%+##::@
8aram+Sin, son of 6ani5tu5u, ruled for :( &ears. ?##::+##.$@
0ar+kali+5arri, son of 8aram+Sin, ruled for #: &ears. ?##.$+#.;'@
Then who was kingC Dho was not kingC
rgigi was king, 8anum was king, mi was king, Elulu was king" those four kings ruled ' &ears. ?#.;'+#.;%@
,udu ruled for #. &ears. ?#.;%+#.(;@
0u+,urul, son of ,udu, ruled for .: &ears. ?#.(;+#.:)@
Eleven kings ruled for .$. &ears.
Then Agade was defeated and the kingship was taken to 1ruk.
n 1ruk, 1r+nigin !ecame king" he ruled for 9 &ears. ?#.:)+#.)9@
1r+gigir, son of 1r+nigin, ruled for ( &ears. ?#.)9+#.).@
Kuda ruled for ( &ears. ?#.).+#.':@
Eu-ur+ili ruled for : &ears. ?#.':+#.'%@
1r+1tu ruled for ( &ears. ?#.'%+#.#)@
Five kings ruled for '% &ears.
1ruk was defeated and the kingship was taken to the arm& of Gutium....
Twent&+one kings ruled for ;. &ears and )% da&s.
Then the arm& of Gutium was defeated and the kingship was taken to 1ruk.
n 1ruk, 1tu+hegal !ecame king" he ruled for )#% &ears and 9 da&s. ?#.#)+#..'@
/ne king ruled for )#9 &ears and (
sic
da&s.
Then 1ruk was defeated and the kingship was taken to 1r.
n 1r, 1r+8ammu !ecame king" he ruled for .$ &ears. ?#..'+#%;:@
0ulgi, son of 1r+8ammu, ruled for )( &ears. ?#%;:+#%)9@
Amar+Sin, son of 0ulgi, ruled for ; &ears. ?#%)9+#%'$@
0u+Sin, son of Amar+Sin, ruled for ; &ears. ?#%'$+#%#;@
!!i+Sin, son of 0u+Sin, ruled for #) &ears. ?#%#;+#%%)@
Four
sic
kings ruled for .%$
sic
&ears.
Then 1r was defeated. The kingship was taken to sin....
Thirteen
sic
kings ruled for #.' &ears.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
<and of 8ur+8in5u!ur.