23 kings; they ruled for 24510 years, 3 months, and 3 1/2 days.
Then Kic was defeated and the kingship was taken to E-ana.
In E-ana, Mec-ki-aj-gacer, the son of Utu, became lord and king; he ruled for 324 (ms. P2+L2 has instead: 325) years. Mec-ki-aj-gacer entered the sea and disappeared. Enmerkar, the son of Mec-ki-aj-gacer, the king of Unug, who built Unug (mss. L1+N1, P2+L2 have instead: under whom Unug was built), became king; he ruled for 420 (ms. TL has instead: 900 + X) years. (ms. P3+BT14 adds:) 745 are the years of the dynasty of Mec-ki-aj-gacer. (ms TL adds instead: ......; he ruled for 5 + X years.) Lugalbanda, the shepherd, ruled for 1200 years. Dumuzid, the fisherman, whose city was Kuara, ruled for 100 (ms. TL has instead: 110) years. (ms. P3+BT14 adds:) He captured En-me-barage-si single-handed. Gilgamec, whose father was a phantom (?), the lord of Kulaba, ruled for 126 years. Ur- Nungal, the son of Gilgamec, ruled for 30 years. Udul-kalama, the son of Ur- Nungal (ms. Su1 has instead: Ur-lugal), ruled for 15 years. La-ba’cum ruled for 9 years. En-nun-tarah-ana ruled for 8 years. Mec-he, the smith, ruled for 36 years. Melem-ana (ms. Su2 has instead: Til-kug (?) ......) ruled for 6 (ms. Su2 has instead: 900) years. Lugal-kitun (?) ruled for 36 (ms. Su2 has instead: 420) years.
12 kings; they ruled for 2310 (ms. Su2 has instead: 3588) years.
Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to Urim.
In Urim, Mec- Ane-pada became king; he ruled for 80 years. Mec-ki-aj- Nanna (ms. P2+L2 has instead: Mec-ki-aj-nuna), the son of Mec- Ane-pada, became king; he ruled for 36 (ms. P2+L2 has instead: 30) years. Elulu ruled for (mss. L1+N1, P2+L2, P3+BT14 have:) 25 years. Balulu ruled for (mss. L1+N1, P2+L2, P3+BT14 have:) 36 years. (mss. L1+N1, P2+L2 have:)
4 kings; they ruled for (mss. L1+N1, P2+L2, P3+BT14 have:) 171 years.
Then Urim was defeated and the kingship was taken to Awan.
In Awan, ...... became king; he ruled for ...... years....... ruled for ...... years....... ruled for 36 years.
3 kings; they ruled for 356 years.
Then Awan was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kic.
In Kic, Susuda, the fuller, became king; he ruled for 201 + X years. Dadasig ruled for (ms. vD has:) 81 years. Mamagal, the boatman, ruled for 360 (ms. L1+N1 has instead: 420) years. Kalbum, the son of Mamagal (ms. WB has instead: Magalgal), ruled for 195 (ms. L1+N1 has instead: 132) years. Tuge (?) ruled for 360 years. Men-nuna , (ms. L1+N1 adds:) the son of Tuge (?), ruled for 180 years. (in mss. L1+N1, TL, the 7th and 8th rulers of the dynasty are in reverse order) ...... ruled for 290 years. Lugalju ruled for 360 (ms. L1+N1 has instead: 420) years.
8 kings; they ruled for 3195 (ms. L1+N1 has instead: 3792) years.
Then Kic was defeated and the kingship was taken to Hamazi.
In Hamazi, Hadanic became king; he ruled for 360 years.
1 king; he ruled for 360 years.
Then Hamazi was defeated and the kingship was taken (ms. P3+BT14 has instead: was returned a second time) to Unug.
(In mss. IB, L1+N1, TL, the 2nd dynasty of Unug of ll. 185- 191 is preceded by the 2nd dynasty of Urim of ll. 192-203.)
In Unug, En-cakanca-ana became king; he ruled for 60 years. Lugal-ure (ms. P3+BT14 has instead: Lugal-kinice-dudu (?)) ruled for 120 years. Argandea ruled for 7 years. (ms. L1+N1 has:)
3 kings; they ruled for (ms. L1+N1 has:) 187 years.
Then Unug was defeated (ms. TL has instead: destroyed) and the kingship was taken to Urim.
In Urim, Nani became king; he ruled for (ms. vD has:) 120 + X (ms. IB has instead: 54 + X) years. Mec-ki-aj- Nanna, the son of Nani, ruled for (ms. vD has:) 48 years. ......, the son (?) of ......, ruled for (ms. IB has:) 2 years. (ms. IB has:)
3 kings; they ruled for (ms. IB has:) 582 (ms. TL has instead: 578) years. (ms. vD has instead: 2 kings; they ruled for 120 + X years.)
Then Urim was defeated (ms. TL has instead: destroyed) and the kingship was taken to Adab.
In Adab, Lugal-Ane-mundu became king; he ruled for (mss. L1+N1, TL have:) 90 years. (mss. L1+N1, TL have:)
1 king; he ruled for (mss. L1+N1, TL have:) 90 years.
Then Adab was defeated (ms. TL has instead: destroyed) and the kingship was taken to Mari.
In Mari, Anbu (?) became king; he ruled for 30 (ms. TL has instead: 90) years. Anba (?), the son of Anbu (?), ruled for 17 (ms. TL has instead: 7) years. Bazi, the leatherworker, ruled for 30 years. Zizi, the fuller, ruled for 20 years. Limer, the gudu priest, ruled for 30 years. Carrum-iter ruled for 9 (ms. TL has instead: 7) years.
6 kings; they ruled for 136 (ms. TL has instead: 184) years.
Then Mari was defeated (ms. TL has instead: destroyed) and the kingship was taken to Kic.
In Kic, Kug-Bau, the woman tavern-keeper, who made firm the foundations of Kic, became king; she ruled for 100 years.
1 king; she ruled for 100 years.
Then Kic was defeated (ms. TL has instead: destroyed) and the kingship was taken to Akcak.
In Akcak, Unzi became king; he ruled for 30 years. Undalulu ruled for 6 (mss. L1+N1, S have instead: 12) years. Urur ruled for (ms. IB has instead: was king (?) for) 6 years. Puzur- Nirah ruled for (mss. IB, L1+N1, S, Su1 have:) 20 years. Icu- Il ruled for (mss. IB, L1+N1, S, Su1 have:) 24 years. Cu- Suen, the son of Icu-Il, ruled for (mss. IB, L1+N1, S, TL have:) 7 (ms. Su1 has instead: 24) years. (mss. S, Su1, TL have:)
6 kings; they ruled for (mss. L1+N1, S, TL have:) 99 (ms. Su1 has instead: 116) years (ms. IB has instead: 5 kings; they ruled for (ms. IB has:) 87 years).
Then Akcak was defeated (ms. S has instead: Then the reign of Akcak was abolished) and the kingship was taken to Kic. (mss. IB, S, Su1, Su3+Su4 list the 3rd and 4th dynasty of Kic of 11. 224-231 and ll. 244-258, respectively, as one dynasty)
In Kic, Puzur-Suen, the son of Kug-Bau, became king; he ruled for 25 years. Ur-Zababa, the son of Puzur-Suen, ruled for 400 (mss. P3+BT14, S have instead: 6) (ms. IB has instead: 4 + X) years. (ms. P3+BT14 adds:) 131 are the years of the dynasty of Kug-Bau. Zimudar (ms. TL has instead: Ziju-iake) ruled for 30 (ms. IB has instead: 30 + X) years. Uß,,i-watar, the son of Zimudar (ms. TL has instead: Ziju-iake), ruled for 7 (ms. S has instead: 6) years. Ectar-muti ruled for 11 (ms. Su1 has instead: 17 (?)) years. Icme-Camac ruled for 11 years. (ms. Su1 adds:) Cu-ilicu ruled for 15 years. Nanniya, the jeweller, (ms. Su1 has instead: Zimudar) (ms. IB has instead: ......) ruled for 7 (ms. S has instead: 3) years. 7 kings; they ruled for 491 (ms. Su1 has instead: 485) years (ms. S has instead:
7 kings; they ruled for 491 years.
Then Kic was defeated (ms. S has instead: Then the reign of Kic was abolished) and the kingship was taken (ms. P3+BT14 has instead: was returned a third time) to Unug. (ms. IB omits the 3rd dynasty of Unug of ll. 258-263)
In Unug, Lugal-zage-si became king; he ruled for 25 (ms. P3+BT14 has instead: 34) years.
1 king; he ruled for 25 (ms. P3+BT14 has instead: 34) years.
Then Unug was defeated (ms. S has instead: Then the reign of Unug was abolished) and the kingship was taken to Agade.
In Agade, Sargon, whose father was a gardener, the cupbearer of Ur-Zababa, became king, the king of Agade, who built Agade (ms. L1+N1 has instead: under whom Agade was built); he ruled for 56 (ms. L1+N1 has instead: 55) (ms. TL has instead: 54) years. Rimuc, the son of Sargon, ruled for 9 (ms. IB has instead: 7) (ms. L1+N1 has instead: 15) years. Man-icticcu, the older brother of Rimuc, the son of Sargon, ruled for 15 (ms. L1+N1 has instead: 7) years. Naram-Suen, the son of Man-icticcu, ruled for (mss. L1+N1, P3+BT14 have:) 56 years. Car-kali-carri, the son of Naram-Suen, ruled for (ms. L1+N1, Su+Su4 have:) 25 (ms. P3+BT14 has instead: 24) years. (ms. P3+BT14 adds:)
157 are the years of the dynasty of Sargon.
Then who was king? Who was the king? (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: who was king? Who indeed was king?) Irgigi was king, Imi was king, Nanûm was king (in mss. L1+N1, Su3+Su4, Imi and Nanûm are in reverse order), Ilulu was king, and the (mss. P3+BT14, S have:) 4 of them ruled for only (mss. P3+BT14, S have:) 3 years. Dudu ruled for 21 years. Cu- Durul, the son of
Dudu, ruled for 15 (ms. IB has instead: 18) years.
11 kings; they ruled for 181 years (ms. S has instead: 12 kings; they ruled for (ms. S has:) 197 years) (mss. Su1, Su3+Su4, which omit Dudu and Cu-Durul, have instead: 9 kings; they ruled for (ms. Su1 has:) 161 (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: 177) years.
Then Agade was defeated (ms. S has instead: Then the reign of Agade was abolished) and the kingship was taken to Unug.
In Unug, Ur-nijin became king; he ruled for 7 (mss. IB, S have instead: 3) (ms. Su1 has instead: 15) (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: 30) years. Ur-gigir, the son of Ur-nijin, ruled for 6 (ms. IB has instead: 7) (ms. Su1 has instead: 15) (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: 7) years. Kuda ruled for 6 years. Puzur-ili ruled for 5 (ms. IB has instead: 20) years. Ur- Utu ruled for 6 (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: Ur-Utu), the son of Ur-gigir, ruled for 25 (ms. Su1 has instead: Lugal-melem, the son of Ur-gigir, ruled for 7) years.
5 kings; they ruled for 30 (ms. IB has instead: 43) (mss. Pð+Ha, S have instead: 26) years (ms. Su3+Su4, which omits Kuda and Puzur-ili, has instead: 3 kings; they ruled for (ms. Su3+Su4 has:) 47 years). Unug was defeated (ms. S has instead: Then the reign of Unug was abolished) and the kingship was taken to the army (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: land) of Gutium.
In the army (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: land) of Gutium, at first no king was famous; they were their own kings and ruled thus for 3 years (ms. L1+N1 has instead: they had no king; they ruled themselves for 5 years). Then Inkicuc (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: ......) ruled for 6 (ms. L1+Ni1 has instead: 7) years. Zarlagab ruled for 6 years. Culme (ms. L1+N1 has instead: Yarlagac) ruled for 6 years. Silulumec (ms. Mi has instead: Silulu) ruled for 6 (ms. G has instead: 7) years. Inimabakec ruled for 5 (ms. Mi has instead: Duga ruled for 6) years. Igecauc ruled for 6 (ms. Mi has instead: Ilu-an (?) ruled for 3) years. Yarlagab ruled for 15 (ms. Mi has instead: 5) years. Ibate ruled for 3 years. Yarla (ms. L1+N1 has instead: Yarlangab (?)) ruled for 3 years. Kurum (ms. L1+N1 has instead: ......) ruled for 1 (ms. Mi has instead: 3) years. Apil-kin ruled for 3 years. La-erabum (?) ruled for 2 years. Irarum ruled for 2 years. Ibranum ruled for 1 year. Hablum ruled for 2 years. Puzur-Suen, the son of Hablum, ruled for 7 years. Yarlaganda ruled for 7 years. ...... ruled for 7 years. Tiriga (?) ruled for 40 days.
21 kings; they ruled for (ms. L1+N1 has:) 124 years and 40 days (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: 25 years).
Then the army of Gutium was defeated (ms. TL has instead: destroyed) and the kingship was taken to Unug.
In Unug, Utu-hejal became king; he ruled for 427 years, ...... days (ms. IB has instead: 26 years, 2 + X months, and 15 days) (ms. J has instead: 7 years, 6 months, and 15 days) (ms. TL has instead: 7 years, 6 months, and 5 days).
1 king; he ruled for 427 years, ...... days (ms. J has instead: 7 years, 6 months, and 15 days) (ms. TL has instead: 7 years, 6 months, and 5 days).
Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to Urim.
In Urim, Ur-Namma became king; he ruled for 18 years. Culgi, the son of Ur-Namma, ruled for 46 (mss. Su3+Su4, TL have instead: 48) (ms. P5 has instead: 58) years. Amar-Suena, the son of Culgi, ruled for 9 (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: 25) years. Cu-Suen, the son of Amar-Suena, ruled for 9 (ms. P5 has instead: 7) (ms. Su1 has instead: 20 + X) (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: 16) years. Ibbi-Suen, the son of Cu-Suen, ruled for 24 (mss. P5, Su1 have instead: 25) (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: 15) (ms. TL has instead: 23 (?)) years.
4 kings; they ruled for 108 years (mss. J, P5, Su1, Su3+Su4 have instead: 5 kings; they ruled for (ms. P5 has:) 117 (ms. Su1 has instead: 120 + X) (ms. Su3+Su4 has instead: 123) years).
Then Urim was defeated (ms. P5 has instead: Then the reign of Urim was abolished). (ms. Su3+Su4 adds:) The very foundation of Sumer was torn out (?). The kingship was taken to Isin.
In Isin, Icbi-Erra became king; he ruled for 33 (ms. P5 has instead: 32) years. Cu-ilicu, the son of Icbi-Erra, ruled for 20 (ms. P5 has instead: 10) (ms. Su1 has instead: 15) years. Iddin-Dagan, the son of Cu-ilicu, ruled for 21 (ms. Su1 has instead: 25) years. Icme-Dagan, the son of Iddin- Dagan, ruled for (mss. P2, P5 have:) 20 (ms. Mi has instead: 18) years. Lipit-Ectar, the son of Icme-Dagan (ms. P2 has instead: Iddin-Dagan), ruled for (mss. L1+N1, P2, P5 have:) 11 years. Ur-Ninurta (mss. L1+N1, P2 add:) , the son of Ickur -- may he have years of abundance, a good reign, and a sweet life -- ruled for (ms. P5 has:) 28 years. Bur-Suen, the son of Ur-Ninurta, ruled for 21 years. Lipit- Enlil, the son of Bur-Suen, ruled for 5 years. Erra-imitti ruled for 8 (mss. P5, TL have instead: 7) years. (ms. P5 adds:) ...... ruled for ...... 6 months. Enlil-bani ruled for 24 years. Zambiya ruled for 3 years. Iter-pica ruled for 4 years. Ur-dul-kuga ruled for 4 years. Suen-magir ruled for 11 years. (ms. P5 adds:) Damiq-ilicu, the son of Suen-magir, ruled for 23 years.
14 kings; they ruled for 203 years (ms. P5 has instead: 225 years and 6 months). (Mss. P2+L2, L1+N1 and P4+Ha conclude with a summary of the post-diluvium dynasties; the translation of ll. 378- 431 uses numerical data from each mss. but follows the wording of P2+L2 and L1+N1)
A total of 39 kings ruled for 14409 + X years, 3 months and 3 1/2 days, 4 times in Kic.
A total of 22 kings ruled for 2610 + X years, 6 months and 15 days, 5 times in Unug.
A total of 12 kings ruled for 396 years, 3 times in Urim.
A total of 3 kings ruled for 356 years, once in Awan.
A total of 1 king ruled for 420 years, once in Hamazi.
16 lines missing
A total of 12 (?) kings ruled for 197 (?) years, once in Agade.
A total of 21 (ms. P4+Ha has instead: 23) kings ruled for 125 years and 40 days (ms. P4+Ha has instead: 99 years), once in the army of Gutium.
A total of 11 (ms. P4+Ha has instead: 16) kings ruled for 159 (ms. P4+Ha has instead: 226) years, once in Isin.
There are 11 cities, cities in which the kingship was exercised.
A total of 134 (ms. P4+Ha has instead: 139) kings, who altogether ruled for 28876 + X (ms. P4+Ha has instead: 3443 + X)years.383
A number of things may now be noted about this odd list.
First, observe the length of the reigns of the individual kings mentioned. Prior to the Deluge, the lengths are extraordinarily long, which has led most conventionally minded scholars to dismiss the List’s historical value. After all, such extraordinarily long reigns means equally extraordinarily long life spans, or at the very minimum, unusual permanence and staying power of a very few dynasties. Similarly, the assertion that “kingship descended” to the earth from the heavens is understood to be a metaphorical reference typical for the region, as kings sought to legitimize their authority by claiming their divine right to rule by virtue of a descent from the gods.
Secondly, note that 241,200 years passed from the “descent of kingship” to the Deluge itself.
Thirdly, observe that the list is clearly divided into a pre- and a post-Deluge period by the succinct statement, “In 5 cities 8 kings; they ruled for 241,200 years. Then the flood swept over.” Then follows the post-Deluge list, in which the reigns and therefore the life-spans of the kings and their associated cities become progressively shorter, until at last they enter the realm of “reality”, becoming normal for human beings. In this, there is an odd parallel to the biblical account of the life-spans of the pre- and post-Deluge lives of the Patriarchs and descendents from Adam.
Fourthly, note that the total length of time from the Deluge to the end of the Kings List is “28876 + X (ms. P4+Ha has instead: 3443 + X) years,” that is, 28,876 years, give or take a few years depending on which manuscript tradition one follows.
But what do these numbers, and the curious division of the List into pre- and post-Deluge sections, mean? R. A. Boulay comments as follows:
The King List attributes reigns of legendary and incredible lengths to many of the rulers of the earlier antediluvian kings. In this sense, it affirms the enormous lifespans of the Patriarchs of the Old Testament.
These lifespans in the Sumerian King List has been a source of wonder and puzzlement. By current standards, the numbers of the antediluvians are completely fa
nciful. These huge numbers are consistent throughout the King List and therefore seem not to be erroneous. While a rational explanation has thus far escaped historians, most researchers feel there must be some underlying logic to these large numbers since a parallel can be found in the enormous lifespans of the antediluvian Patriarchs.384
Indeed, since one very important Old Testament patriarch, Abraham, originated from this region, the odd connection, plus the Old Testament’s own division of life spans into two sections, the antediluvian, and the post-diluvian life spans, where, like the Sumerian King List the life spans of the patriarchs declines progressively to what is now a normal human lifespan, the connection would seem to be more than coincidental.
Something else is at work in both cases.
Boulay offers one explanation, and that is that the reigns and therefore the long life spans of the antediluvian kings is a reflection of the Sumerian numerical system itself.
It was not unusual for the ancient to compute time by other than normal Earth years such as, for example, in the Book of Jubilees, where a Jubilee year is equivalent to 50 regular years. That is equal to seven week years (a week year was seven years) and one year added for atonement, when all activities were supposed to cease.
...
(The Sumerians’) numerical system was sexagesimal in character and they made use of the factor of 10 as well as 6. Thus the sequence 1, 10, 60, 360, 600, 3600 takes on a special meaning in their mythology. If the duration of the various terms of kingship are presented graphically, it becomes obvious that this sexagesimal system underlies the fabulous numbers of the King List. Called a SHAR by the Sumerians, the number 3600 appears to have a special meaning in this list. It can be seen that with slight adjustment, the years of reign of the Sumerian kings are divisible by this number. It indicates that the term of reign for a Sumerian antediluvian king was presumably a “shar” — probably renewable every 3600 years.385
The Cosmic War: Interplanetary Warfare, Modern Physics and Ancient Texts Page 21
