The Epic of the 8 Sumerian Kings Who Ruled for 241,200 Years : The Ancient Sumerian King List

Over the years in numerous regions of ancient Mesopotamia, scholars have discovered tablets with one of the most ancient manuscripts ever to exist. It's called the Sumerian King List. It details how in the distant past our planet was ruled by eight mysterious kings over a period of 241,000 years. The list itself literally says, after the kingdom came down from heaven, the kingdom was in Eridu and tells the incredible story of the rain. In the record, it is noted, in five cities, eight kings. They ruled for 241,200 years, then the flood came in. But how is it possible for eight kings to rule the earth for 241,000 years? Also, not only does the Sumerian King List state how long they ruled on earth, it specifically says that they came down from heaven. The list details how these kings met their end during the great flood that swept the earth and goes on to detail what happens after that. Another kingdom is sent down from heaven and these mysterious kings once again rule over man. But is the Sumerian King List a mix of historical, verifiable rulers and mythological creatures? Or have scholars simply categorized some of them as mythological because of their particular characteristics? For decades, people believed that the history described in the Sumerian King List was simply a collection of mythological accounts. Today, more authors and researchers disagree, suggesting that the contents of the list may not be mythological at all, pointing to the fact that scholars already partially recognize some of the king detailed in the list. Is it possible that what is recorded in the list is an actual historical reference? Could it be that thousands of years before modern history, our planet was ruled by kings from another world who came to earth from a distant place in the universe to rule over us? Do you allow for the possibility that these long reigns were possible at a time when civilization, society, and our planet were much different than today? If you are still in doubt, here is the time to note that the earliest listed ruler is today an archaeological confirmed historical figure. This is Enambersi from Kish. He is penultimate, king of the first dynasty of Kish and is recorded as having reigned for 900 years, died around 2700 BC. If you like what we do, support us by subscribing to the channel. The Sumerian King List, also known as the Chronicle of the Sol Monarchy, is an ancient literal composition written in Sumerian, probably created to legitimize the claims to power of various city-states and kingdoms in southern Mesopotamia during the late 3rd and early 2nd millennial BC. It does so by repeatedly listed Sumerian cities, the kings who ruled there, and the length of their reigns. In the early part of the list, these reigns often span thousands of years. The oldest known version is dated to the year 3rd period around 2112-2004 BC, but was probably composed based on much older Akkadian source material. In its best-known and best-preserved version, the list begins with a series of Antediluvian kings who ruled before the after which the kingdom was restored to Kish. It ends with the Yixin dynasty of the early 2nd millennial BC, which is well known from other contemporary sources. It should also be noted that what is commonly referred to as the Sumerian King List is not a single text, rather it is a literary composition of various versions that existed over time. All the sources found are in the form of clay tablets or cylinders and are written in Sumerian. Sixteen different tablets or fragments containing parts of the text are known. Most of them were found in various places in Mesopotamia. Most are found in Nippur. There is only one manuscript that contains an almost intact version of the composition. This is the Weld-Blundell Prism, which includes the Antediluvian part of the composition and ends with the Yixin dynasty. What does the Sumerian King List contain? Lines 1-39. Before the Flood This section begins with the line, After the kingdom came down from heaven, the kingdom was in Eridu. Two kings of Eridu are mentioned before the city fell and royalty was taken at Bat-Tiburah. This pattern of cities gaining a kingdom and then falling or being defeated, only to be succeeded by the next, is present throughout the text. Remarkably, this is almost always described in exactly the same words. This section mentions eight kings who ruled over five cities. The length of each reign is also indicated and they vary between 43,200 and 28,800 years for a total of 241,200 years. The section ends with the line, Then the flood came. Among the kings mentioned in this section is the ancient Mesopotamian god Dumyazid. Lines 40-265. The First Dynasty of Kish to Lugalzajsi. After the flood came and the kingdom came down from heaven again, the kingdom was in Kish. After this well-known line, the section continues with a list of 23 kings of Kish who ruled for shorter periods, between 1,500 and 300 years for a total of 24,510 years. Apart from the length of their reigns and whether they were sons of their predecessors, no other details are mentioned about them. The exceptions are Atanna, who ascended to heaven and consolidated all foreign countries, and En-Mabagarsi, who made the land of the Elamites. En-Mabagarsi is also the first king in the Sumerian king list whose name is attested in contemporary records. His successor, Aga of Kish, the last king mentioned before Kish fell and the kingdom was taken by Ianna, also appears in the poem Gilgamesh and Aga. The next lines up to Sargon of Akkad show a constant succession of cities and kings, usually without much detail beyond the length of individual reigns. Each entry is structured the same way. The city where the kingdom is located is recorded, followed by the kings and how long they reigned, followed by a brief summary and a final line indicating where the kingdom was next. An apt example of this is found in lines 134 to 147. At-ur-masa-nepada becomes king, he ruled for 80 years. Mesge-an-nan, the son of Mesge-nepada, became king, he ruled for 36 years. Elulu ruled for 25 years. Balulu ruled for 36 years. Four kings ruled for 171 years. Then Ur was defeated and the kingdom was taken from Adan. Individual reigns range in length from 1,200 years for Lugolbanda of Uruk to 6 years for another Uruk king and several Akshak kings. The number of years and office decreases as we go down the list. The earlier part of this section mentions several kings who are also known for other literal sources. These are Dumzid, the fisherman, and Gilgamesh, although virtually no kings from the earlier part of this section appear in records dating from the actual period in which they are supposed to have lived. Lines 211 through 223 describe a dynasty from Mari, which was the city outside of Sumer itself but played an important role in the history of Mesopotamia during the late 3rd and early 2nd millennial BCE. The subsequent 3rd dynasty of Kish consisted of a single ruler, Kug-ba, the woman tavern-keeper, who is believed to be the only queen including the Sumerian king list. The last two of the dynasties of this section, the 4th of Kish and the 3rd of Uruk, provide a link to the next section. Surgon of Akkad is mentioned in the Sumerian king list as a cup-bearer to Ur-Zababa of Kish and he defeated Lugal-Sejsi of Uruk before establishing his own dynasty. Lines 266 to 377, Akkad to Aizen. This section is dedicated to the famous Akkadian ruler Surgon and his successors. After the record of Shar-Kali-Sheri, the Sumerian king list reads, Then, who was king? Who was not king? Suggesting a period of chaos and uncertain times during which the Akkadian empire came to an end. Four kings are mentioned as ruling for a total of only three years. One of the Akkadian kings mentioned after Shar-Kali-Sher, only the names of Dudu and Shuturul are attested in records dating from the Akkadian period. The Akkadian dynasty was succeeded by the 4th dynasty of Uruk, two kings of which Ur-Nigin and his son Ur-Gagir appear in other contemporary records. The kingship was then taken to the land of the army of Gutium, who were said to have had no kings at first and to have ruled only for several years. After the brief episode, 21 Gutian kings are listed before the fall of Gutium and the kingdom was taken to Urk. One only ruler is named during the reign period, Utu-Higil, before he moved to Ur. The so-called 3rd dynasty of Ur consisted of five kings who ruled between 9 and 46 years. No other details are given. The list notes that once the rule of Ur was removed, the very foundation of Sumer was torn apart. The kings of Yishun are the last dynasty to be listed. It consisted of 14 kings who ruled between 3 and 33 years. As with the Ur 3rd dynasty, no details are given about the reigns of individual kings. Lines 378 through 431 are summary. This summary mentions the number of kings and their accumulated years of reign for each city, as well as the number of times that city received a kingship. What worries scholars most today is the inability to explain the reigns of any of the most ancient rulers with anything that fits our common accepted norms. Although a large part of these kings are also heroes of the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian legends and epics, they remain denied by our science as being mythological. Many researchers are trying to find an explanation for these long reigns, such as the hypothesis that these figures were a kind of hyperbole expressing their power, triumph, or importance of the people for which they relate to. For example, in ancient Egypt, the phrase, He died at the age of 110 referred to those who lived full lives and gave an important contribution to society. According to historians, people used such terms as a reward to their rulers for their unlimited power and the importance of what they did for the state. Another hypothesis claims that the system of counting time before and after the flood changed and therefore the reigns became shorter and shorter. The last reigns described in the list, however, are generally accepted historically real, having been proven by existing archaeological finds. History knows many hypotheses related to antiquity, which were denied by scientists as impossible, but over time, indisputable artifacts have refuted them. Only time will tell whether this case is the same. If the topic is interesting to you and you want to learn more about the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, their mythology, and other ancient civilizations, you'll find many more similar videos related to them in our channel.