Sumerian King List

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The Sumerian King List is an ancient manuscript originally recorded in the Sumerian language, listing kings of Sumer (ancient southern Iraq) from Sumerian and neighboring dynasties, their supposed reign lengths, and the locations of "official" kingship. Kingship was believed to have been handed down by the gods, and could be transferred from one city to another, reflecting perceived hegemony in the region.[1] Throughout its Bronze Age existence, the document evolved into a political tool. Its final and single attested version, dating to the Middle Bronze Age, aimed to legitimize Isin's claims to hegemony when Isin was vying for dominance with Larsa and other neighboring city-states in southern Mesopotamia.[1][2]

Contents

Composition

The list blends prehistorical, presumably mythical predynastic rulers with implausibly lengthy reigns with later, more plausibly historical dynasties. Although the primal kings are historically unattested, this does not preclude their possible correspondence with historical rulers who were later mythicized. Some Assyriologists view the predynastic kings as a later fictional addition.[1][3] Only one ruler listed is known to be female: Kug-Bau "the (female) tavern-keeper", who alone accounts for the Third Dynasty of Kish. The earliest listed ruler whose historicity has been archaeologically verified is En-me-barage-si of Kish, ca. 2600 BC. Reference to this individual in the Epic of Gilgamesh has led to speculation that Gilgamesh himself may be historical. Three dynasties are notably excluded from the list: the Larsa dynasty, which vied for power with the (included) Isin dynasty during the Isin-Larsa period; and the two dynasties of Lagash, which respectively preceded and ensued the Akkadian Empire, when Lagash exercised considerable influence in the region. Lagash in particular is known directly from archaeological artifacts dating from ca. 2500 BC. The list is important to the chronology of the 3rd millennium BC. However, the fact that many of the dynasties listed reigned simultaneously from varying localities makes it difficult to reproduce a strict linear chronology.[1]

Sources

The following extant ancient sources contain the Sumerian King List, or fragments:
The first two sources (WB) are a part of the "Weld-Blundell collection", donated by Herbert Weld Blundell to the Ashmolean Museum.

WB 62 is a small clay tablet, inscribed only on the obverse, unearthed from Larsa. It is the oldest dated source (c. 2000 BC) containing the list.[6]

WB 444 in contrast is a unique inscribed vertical prism,[1][7][8][9] dated c. 1817 BC, although some scholars prefer c. 1827 BC.[10]

The Kish Tablet or Scheil dynastic tablet is an early 2nd millennium BC tablet which came into possession of Jean-Vincent Scheil; it only contains king list entries for four Sumerian cities.[11]

UCBC 9-1819 is a clay tablet housed in the collection of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of California.[12] The tablet was inscribed during the reign of the Babylonian King Samsu-iluna, or slightly earlier, with a minimum date of 1712 BC.[13]

The Dynastic Chronicle (ABC 18) is a Babylonian king list written on six columns, beginning with entries for the antideluvian Sumerian rulers.

K 11261+[14] is one of the copies of this chronicle, consisting of three joined Neo-Assyrian fragments discovered at the Library of Ashurbanipal.[15]

K 12054 is another of the Neo-Assyrian fragments from Uruk (c. 640 BC) but contains a variant form of the antediluvians on the list. The later Babylonian and Assyrian king lists, preserved the earliest portions of the list well into the 3rd century BC, when Berossus' Babyloniaca popularized fragments of the list in the Hellenic world.

In 1960, the Apkullu-list (Tablet No. W.20030, 7) or “Uruk List of Kings and Sages” (ULKS) was discovered by German archaeologists at an ancient temple at Uruk. The list, dating to c. 165 BC, contains a series of kings, equivalent to the Sumerian antediluvians called "Apkullu".[16]

The list

Early dates are approximate, and are based on available archaeological data; for most pre-Akkadian rulers listed, this king list is itself the lone source of information.

Beginning with Lugal-zage-si and the Third Dynasty of Uruk (which was defeated by Sargon of Akkad),

 a better understanding of how subsequent rulers fit into the chronology of the ancient Near East can be deduced. The short chronology is used here.

Antediluvian rulers - Härskare före Floden (2458 f Kr bibeldatering)

None of the following predynastic "antediluvian" rulers has been verified as historical via archaeological excavations, epigraphical inscriptions, or otherwise. It is possible that they correspond to the Early Bronze Age Jemdet Nasr period culture which ended approximately 2900 BC, immediately preceding the dynasts,[17] if they were not purely mythological inventions.
The following reigns were measured in Sumerian numerical units known as sars (units of 3600), ners (units of 600), and sosses (units of 60).[18]
Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
"After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridug. In Eridug, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28800 years."
Alulim
8 sars (28,800 years) Between 35th and 30th century BC
Alalngar
10 sars (36,000 years)

"Then Eridug fell and the kingship was taken to Bad-tibira."
En-men-lu-ana
12 sars (43,200 years)

En-men-gal-ana
8 sars (28,800 years)

Dumuzid, the Shepherd  "the shepherd" 10 sars (36,000 years)

"Then Bad-tibira fell and the kingship was taken to Larag."
En-sipad-zid-ana
8 sars (28,800 years)

"Then Larag fell and the kingship was taken to Zimbir."
En-men-dur-ana
5 sars and 5 ners (21,000 years)

"Then Zimbir fell and the kingship was taken to Shuruppag."
Ubara-Tutu
5 sars and 1 ner (18,600 years)

"Then the flood swept over."
Excavations in Iraq have revealed evidence of localized flooding at Shuruppak (modern Tell Fara, Iraq) and various other Sumerian cities. A layer of riverine sediments, radiocarbon dated to ca. 2900 BC, interrupts the continuity of settlement, extending as far north as the city of Kish. Polychrome pottery from the Jemdet Nasr period (3000-2900 BC) was discovered immediately below the Shuruppak flood stratum.[19]

First Dynasty of Kish

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
"After the flood had swept over, and the kingship had descended from heaven, the kingship was in Kish."
Jushur
1200 years historicity uncertain names before Etana do not appear in any other known source, and their existence is archaeologically unverified
Kullassina-bel
960 years

Nangishlishma
670 years

En-tarah-ana
420 years

Babum
300 years

Puannum
840 years

Kalibum
960 years

Kalumum
840 years

Zuqaqip
900 years

Atab (or A-ba)
600 years

Mashda "the son of Atab" 840 years

Arwium "the son of Mashda" 720 years

Etana "the shepherd, who ascended to heaven and consolidated all the foreign countries" 1500 years

Balih "the son of Etana" 400 years

En-me-nuna
660 years

Melem-Kish "the son of En-me-nuna" 900 years

Barsal-nuna ("the son of En-me-nuna")* 1200 years

Zamug "the son of Barsal-nuna" 140 years

Tizqar "the son of Zamug" 305 years

Ilku
900 years

Iltasadum
1200 years

En-me-barage-si "who made the land of Elam submit" 900 years ca. 2600 BC the earliest ruler on the List confirmed independently from epigraphical evidence
Aga of Kish "the son of En-me-barage-si" 625 years ca. 2600 BC contemporary with Gilgamesh of Uruk, according to the Epic of Gilgamesh[6] Gilgameš and Aga Translation at ETCSL
"Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to E-ana."

First Dynasty of Uruk

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Mesh-ki-ang-gasher of E-ana "the son of Utu" 324 years ca. 27th
"Mesh-ki-ang-gasher entered the sea and disappeared."
Enmerkar "the son of Mesh-ki-ang-gasher, the king of Unug, who built Unug (Uruk)" 420 years

Lugalbanda "the shepherd" 1200 years

Dumuzid (Dumuzi) "the fisherman whose city was Kuara."
("He captured En-me-barage-si single-handed.")*		 100 years ca. 2600 BC
Gilgamesh "whose father was a phantom (?), the lord of Kulaba" 126 years ca. 2600 BC contemporary with Aga of Kish, according to the Epic of Gilgamesh[20]
Ur-Nungal "the son of Gilgamesh" 30 years

Udul-kalama "the son of Ur-Nungal" 15 years

La-ba'shum
9 years

En-nun-tarah-ana
8 years

Mesh-he "the smith" 36 years

Melem-ana
6 years

Lugal-kitun
36 years

"Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to Urim (Ur)."

First dynasty of Ur

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Mesh-Ane-pada
80 years ca. 26th century BC
Mesh-ki-ang-Nanna "the son of Mesh-Ane-pada" 36 years

Elulu
25 years

Balulu
36 years

"Then Urim was defeated and the kingship was taken to Awan."

Dynasty of Awan

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Three kings of Awan
356 years ca. 26th century BC
"Then Awan was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kish."

Second Dynasty of Kish

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Susuda "the fuller" 201 years ca. 26th century BC
Dadasig
81 years

Mamagal "the boatman" 360 years

Kalbum "the son of Mamagal" 195 years

Tuge
360 years

Men-nuna "the son of Tuge" 180 years

(Enbi-Ishtar)
290 years

Lugalngu
360 years

"Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to Hamazi."
The First Dynasty of Lagash (ca. 2500 – ca. 2271 BC) is not mentioned in the King List, though it is well known from inscriptions

Dynasty of Hamazi

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Hadanish
360 years ca. 2500 BC
"Then Hamazi was defeated and the kingship was taken to Unug (Uruk)."

Second Dynasty of Uruk

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
En-shag-kush-ana
60 years ca. 25th century BC said to have conquered parts of Sumer; then Eannatum of Lagash claims to have taken over Sumer, Kish, and all Mesopotamia.
Lugal-kinishe-dudu or Lugal-ure
120 years
contemporary with Entemena of Lagash
Argandea
7 years

"Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to Urim (Ur)."

Second Dynasty of Ur

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Nanni
120 years ca. 25th century BC
Mesh-ki-ang-Nanna II "the son of Nanni" 48 years

(?)
2 years

"Then Urim was defeated and the kingship was taken to Adab."

Dynasty of Adab

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Lugal-Ane-mundu
90 years ca. 25th century BC said to have conquered all Mesopotamia from the Persian Gulf to the Zagros Mountains and Elam
"Then Adab was defeated and the kingship was taken to Mari."

Dynasty of Mari

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Anbu
30 years ca. 25th century BC
Anba "the son of Anbu" 17 years

Bazi "the leatherworker" 30 years

Zizi of Mari "the fuller" 20 years

Limer "the 'gudug' priest" 30 years

Sharrum-iter
9 years

"Then Mari was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kish."

Third Dynasty of Kish

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Kug-Bau (Kubaba) "the woman tavern-keeper, who made firm the foundations of Kish" 100 years ca. 25th century BC the only known woman in the King List; said to have gained independence from En-anna-tum I of Lagash and En-shag-kush-ana of Uruk; contemporary with Puzur-Nirah of Akshak, according to the later Chronicle of the É-sagila
"Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to Akshak."

Dynasty of Akshak

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Unzi
30 years ca. 25th – 24th century BC
Undalulu
6 years

Urur
6 years

Puzur-Nirah
20 years
contemporary with Kug-Bau of Kish, according to the later Chronicle of É-sagila
Ishu-Il
24 years

Shu-Suen of Akshak "the son of Ishu-Il" 7 years

"Then Akshak was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kish."

Fourth Dynasty of Kish

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Puzur-Suen "the son of Kug-Bau" 25 years ca. 24th – 23rd century BC
Ur-Zababa "the son of Puzur-Suen" 400 (6?) years ca. 2300 BC according to the king list, Sargon of Akkad was his cup-bearer
Zimudar
30 years

Usi-watar "the son of Zimudar" 7 years

Eshtar-muti
11 years

Ishme-Shamash
11 years

(Shu-ilishu)*
(15 years)*

Nanniya "the jeweller" 7 years ca. 2303-2296 BC (short)
"Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to Unug (Uruk)."

Third Dynasty of Uruk

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Lugal-zage-si
25 years ca. 2296–2271 BC (short) said to have defeated Urukagina of Lagash, as well as Kish and other Sumerian cities, creating a unified kingdom; he in turn was overthrown by Sargon of Akkad
"Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to Agade (Akkad)"

Dynasty of Akkad

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Sargon of Akkad "whose father was a gardener, the cupbearer of Ur-Zababa, became king, the king of Agade, who built Agade" 40 years ca. 2270–2215 BC (short) defeated Lugal-zage-si of Uruk, took over Sumer, and created the Akkadian Empire
Rimush of Akkad "the son of Sargon" 9 years ca. 2214–2206 BC (short)
Man-ishtishu "the older brother of Rimush, the son of Sargon" 15 years ca. 2205–2191 BC (short)
Naram-Sin of Akkad "the son of Man-ishtishu" 56 years ca. 2190–2154 BC (short)
Shar-kali-sharri "the son of Naram-Sin" 25 years ca. 2153–2129 BC (short)
"Then who was king? Who was the king?"
"and the 4 of them ruled for only 3 years"
ca. 2128–2125 BC (short)
Dudu of Akkad
21 years ca. 2125–2104 BC (short)
Shu-Durul "the son of Dudu" 15 years ca. 2104–2083 BC (short) Akkad falls to the Gutians
"Then Agade was defeated and the kingship was taken to Unug (Uruk)."

Fourth Dynasty of Uruk

(Possibly rulers of lower Mesopotamia contemporary with the Dynasty of Akkad)
Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Ur-ningin
7 years ca. 2091? – 2061? BC (short)
Ur-gigir "the son of Ur-ningin" 6 years

Kuda
6 years

Puzur-ili
5 years

Ur-Utu (or Lugal-melem) ("the son of Ur-gigir")* 25 years

"Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to the army of Gutium."
The 2nd Dynasty of Lagash (before ca. 2093–2046 BC (short)) is not mentioned in the King List, though it is well known from inscriptions.

Gutian rule

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
"In the army of Gutium, at first no king was famous; they were their own kings and ruled thus for 3 years."
Inkishush
6 years ca. 2147–2050 BC (short)
Zarlagab
6 years

Shulme (or Yarlagash)
6 years

Silulumesh (or Silulu)
6 years

Inimabakesh (or Duga)
5 years

Igeshaush (or Ilu-An)
6 years

Yarlagab
3 years

Ibate of Gutium
3 years

Yarla (or Yarlangab)
3 years

Kurum
1 year

Apilkin
3 years

La-erabum
2 years
mace head inscription
Irarum
2 years

Ibranum
1 year

Hablum
2 years

Puzur-Suen "the son of Hablum" 7 years

Yarlaganda
7 years
foundation inscription at Umma
(?)
7 years
Si-um or Si-u? — foundation inscription at Umma
Tirigan
40 days
defeated by Utu-hengal of Uruk
"Then the army of Gutium was defeated and the kingship taken to Unug (Uruk)."

Fifth Dynasty of Uruk

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Utu-hengal
conflicting dates (427 years / 26 years / 7 years) ca. 2055–2048 BC (short) defeats Tirigan and the Gutians, appoints Ur-Namma governor of Ur
"Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to Urim (Ur)."

Third Dynasty of Ur

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Ur-Namma (Ur-Nammu)
18 years ca. 2047–2030 BC (short) defeats Nammahani of Lagash; contemporary of Utu-hengal of Uruk
Shulgi "the son of Ur-Namma" 46 years ca. 2029–1982 BC (short) possible lunar/solar eclipse 2005 BC
Amar-Suena "the son of Shulgi" 9 years ca. 1981–1973 BC (short)
Shu-Suen "the son of Amar-Suena" 9 years ca. 1972–1964 BC (short)
Ibbi-Suen "the son of Shu-Suen" 24 years ca. 1963–1940 BC (short)
"Then Urim was defeated. The very foundation of Sumer was torn out. The kingship was taken to Isin."
Independent Amorite states in lower Mesopotamia. The Dynasty of Larsa (ca. 1961–1674 BC (short)) from this period is not mentioned in the King List.

Dynasty of Isin

Ruler Epithet Length of reign Approx. dates Comments
Ishbi-Erra
33 years ca. 1953–1730 BC (short) contemporary of Ibbi-Suen of Ur
Shu-Ilishu "the son of Ishbi-Erra" 20 years

Iddin-Dagan "the son of Shu-ilishu" 20 years

Ishme-Dagan "the son of Iddin-Dagan" 20 years

Lipit-Eshtar "the son of Ishme-Dagan (or Iddin-Dagan)" 11 years
contemporary of Gungunum of Larsa
Ur-Ninurta ("the son of Ishkur, may he have years of abundance, a good reign, and a sweet life")* 28 years
Contemporary of Abisare of Larsa
Bur-Suen "the son of Ur-Ninurta" 21 years

Lipit-Enlil "the son of Bur-Suen" 5 years

Erra-imitti
8 years

Enlil-bani
24 years
contemporary of Sumu-la-El of Babylon. During his reign, the king's gardener, to celebrate the New Year was named 'king for a day' then sacrificed, the "king" died during the celebration; Enlil-Bani remained on the throne.
Zambiya
3 years
contemporary of Sin-Iqisham of Larsa
Iter-pisha
4 years

Ur-du-kuga
4 years

Suen-magir
11 years

(Damiq-ilishu)* ("the son of Suen-magir")* (23 years)*

* These epithets or names are not included in all versions of the king list.

See also

Portal icon Ancient Near East portal

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Van De Mieroop, Marc (2004). A History of the Ancient Near East. Blackwell. pp. 41. ISBN 0-631-22552-8.
  2. ^ The spelling of royal names follows the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
  3. ^ von Soden, Wolfram; Donald G. Schley, translator (1994). The Ancient Orient. Wm. B. Eerdmans. pp. 47. ISBN 0-8028-0142-0.
  4. ^ translation
  5. ^ translation
  6. ^ Langdon, OECT2 (1923), pl. 6.
  7. ^ [1] Stephen Langdon, Historical inscriptions, containing principally the chronological prism, W-B 444, Oxford University Press, 1923
  8. ^ "WB-444 High Resolution Image from CDLI".
  9. ^ "WB-444 Line Art from CDLI".
  10. ^ Ancient Iraq: (Assyria and Babylonia), Peter Roger Stuart Moorey, Ashmolean Museum, 1976; The Sumerian King List, T. Jacobsen, University of Chicago Press, 1939, p. 77.
  11. ^ "The Early Chronology of Sumer and Egypt and the Similarities in Their Culture", S. Langdon, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 7, No. 3/4, Oct., 1921, p. 133. [2]
  12. ^ "The Antediluvian Kings: A University of California Tablet", J. J. Finkelstein, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2, 1963, p. 39.
  13. ^ Finkelstein, 1963, pp.39-40.
  14. ^ Lambert and Millard, Cuneiform Texts 46 Nr. 5
  15. ^ Bilingual Chronicle Fragments, Irving L. Finkel, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 32, No. 2, Apr., 1980, pp. 65-80.
  16. ^ A copy of the tablet appears in Jan van Dijk and Werner R. Mayer, Texte aus dem Rès-Heiligtum in Uruk-Warka, Bagdader Mitteilungen Beiheft 2 (Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag, 1980), text no. 89 (= BaMB 2 89). For an edition of the text, see J. van Dijk, Die Inschriftenfunde, Vorläufiger Bericht über die... Ausgrabungen in Uruk-Warka 18 (1962), 44-52 and plate 27. [3]
  17. ^ Wright, Henry. "The Earliest Bronze Age in Southwest Asia (3100-2700 BC)". Retrieved 2008-07-04.
  18. ^ [4] Christine Proust, Numerical and Metrological Graphemes: From Cuneiform to Transliteration, Cuneiform Digital Library Journal, 2009, ISSN 1540-8779
  19. ^ Harriet Crawford, Sumer and the Sumerians, Cambridge University Press, 2004, ISBN 978-0-521-53338-6
  20. ^ [5] Gilgameš and Aga Translation at ETCSL

Literature

  • Jacobsen, Thorkild. The Sumerian King List. Oriental Institute, Assyriological Studies 11, University of Chicago Press, 1939
  • Rowton, M. B. The Date of the Sumerian King List, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 156–162, 1960
  • P. Steinkeller, An Ur III Manuscript of the Sumerian King List. In Literatur, Politik und Recht in Mesopotamien: Festschrift fur Claus Wilcke, ed. W. Sallaberger et al., Harrassowitz Verlag, pp. 267–92, 2003
  • Young, Dwight W. The Incredible Regnal Spans of Kish I in the Sumerian King List, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 23–35, 1991
  • Hallo, William W. Beginning and End of the Sumerian King List in the Nippur Recension, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 52–57, 1963
  • Vincente, Claudine-Adrienne, "The Tall Leilan Recension of the Sumerian King List", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie 50 (1995), 234–270
  • Friberg, Jöran. "The Beginning and the End of the Sumerian King List", in A remarkable collection of Babylonian mathematical texts: Manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection Cuneiform Texts I, Springer, 2007, ISBN 0-387-34543-4
  • Michalowski, Piotr. History as Charter Some Observations on the Sumerian King List, Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 103, no. 1, pp. 237–248, 1983
  • Jean-Jacques Glassner, Mesopotamian Chronicles, Brill, 2005, ISBN 90-04-13084-5
  • J. J. Finkelstein, The Antediluvian Kings: A University of California Tablet, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 39–51, 1963
  • Albrecht Goetze, Early Kings of Kish, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 105–111, 1961
  • Thomas Jacobs, The Sumerian King List, UGent paper, GONO department

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