The Sumerian King List

Sumerian King List: list of rulers of ancient Sumer, used as a framework for the study of Mesopotamian chronology.

Sixteen copies (indicated as A, B, C... P) of this text are known, all of them written in Sumerian, although some of them clearly show Akkadian influence. The text appears to have been composed in the late third millennium BCE (Ur III period), and was later updated. The sequence of cities is identical to the Eridu Genesis.

The text presented here is based on version G, an octagonal prism from Larsa.

Translation

After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridu.
In Eridu, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28,800 years.
Alalgar ruled for 36,000 years.
Two kings; they ruled for 64800 years.

 

Then Eridu fell and the kingship was taken to Bad-tibira.
In Bad-tibira, Enmen-lu-ana ruled for 43,200 years.
Enmen-gal-ana ruled for 28,800 years.
The divine Dumuzi, the shepherd, ruled for 36,000 years.
Three kings; they ruled for 108,000 years.

 

Then Bad-tibira fell and the kingship was taken to Larak.
In Larak, En-sipad-zid-ana ruled for 28,800 years.
One king; he ruled for 28,800 years.

 

Then Larak fell and the kingship was taken to Sippar.
In Sippar, Enmen-dur-ana became king; he ruled for 21,000 years.
One king; he ruled for 21,000 years.

 

Then Sippar fell and the kingship was taken to Šuruppak.
In Šuruppak, Ubara-Tutu became king; he ruled for 18,600 years.
One king; he ruled for 18,600 years.

 

Five cities; eight kings ruled for 385,200sic years.
Then the Flood swept over.

 

After the Flood had swept over, and the kingship had descended from heaven, the kingship was in Kiš.
In Kiš, Gišur became king; he ruled for 1,200 years.
Kullassina-bêl ruled for 900 years.
Nan-GIŠ-lišma ruled for 1,200 years.
En-dara-ana ruled for 420 years, 3 months, and 3½ days.
Babum ruled for 300 years.
Pu'annum ruled for 840 years.
Kalibum ruled for 900 years.
Kalumum ruled for 840 years.
Zuqaqip ruled for 900 years.
Atab ruled for 600 years.
Mašda, son of Atab, ruled for 840 years.
Arwi'um, son of Mašda, ruled for 720 years.
Etana, the shepherd, who ascended to heaven and put all countries in order, became king; he ruled for 1,500 years.
Balih, son of Etana, ruled for 400 years.
Enme-nuna ruled for 660 years.
Melem-Kiš, son of Enme-nuna, ruled for 900 years.
Barsal-nuna, son of Enme-nuna, ruled for 1,200 years.
Samug, son of Barsal-nuna, ruled for 140 years.
Tizkar, son of Samug, ruled for 305 years.
Ilku'u ruled for 900 years.
Ilta-sadum ruled for 1200 years.
Enmen-baragesi, who destroyed Elam's weapons, became king; he ruled for 900 years.
Agga, son of Enmen-baragesi, ruled for 625 years.
Twenty-three kings ruled for 23,310 years, 3 months, and 3 1/2 days.

 

Then Kiš was defeated and the kingship was taken to Eanna.
In Eanna, Meš-ki'ag-gašer, son of Utu, became lord and king; he ruled for 324 years. Meš-ki'ag-gašer entered the sea and disappeared.
Enmekar, son of Meš-ki'ag-gašer, the king of Uruk, who built Uruk, became king; he ruled for 420 years.
The divine Lugal-banda, the shepherd, ruled for 1200 years.
The divine Dumuzi, the fisherman, whose city was Ku'ara, ruled for 100.
Gilgameš, whose father was an invisible being, the lord of Kulaba, ruled for 126 years.
Ur-Nungal, son of the divine Gilgameš, ruled for 30 years.
Udul-kalama, son of Ur-Nungal, ruled for 15 years.
La-bašer ruled for 9 years.
Ennun-dara-ana ruled for 8 years.
Mešhe, the smith, ruled for 36 years.
Melem-ana ruled for 6 years.
Lugal-ki-GIN ruled for 36 years.
Twelve kings ruled for 2310 years.

 

Then Uruk was defeated and the kingship was taken to Ur.
In Ur, Mes-ane-pada became king; he ruled for 80 years.
Meš-ki'ag-Nuna, son of Mes-ane-pada, became king; he ruled for 36 year.
Elulu ruled for 25 years.
Balulu ruled for 36 years. (mss. L1+N1, P2+L2 have:)
Four kings ruled for 177 years.

 

Then Ur was defeated and the kingship was taken to Awan.
In Awan, [...] became king; he ruled for [...] years.
[...]-Lu ruled for [...] years.
Kul[...] ruled for 36 years.
Three kings ruled for 356 years.

 

Then Awan was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kiš.
In Kiš, Su-suda, the fuller, became king; he ruled for 200+N years.
Dadase ruled for 81 years.
Mamagal, the boatman, ruled for 240+N years.
Kalbum, son of Mamagal, ruled for 195 years.
TUG ruled for 360 years.
Men-nuna ruled for 180 years.
Enbi-Ištar ruled for 290 years.
Lugalgu ruled for 360 years.
Eight kings they ruled for 3195sic years.

 

Then Kiš was defeated and the kingship was taken to Hamazi.
In Hamazi, Hataniš became king; he ruled for 360 years.
One king ruled for 360 years.

 

Then Hamazi was defeated and the kingship was taken to Uruk.
In Uruk, En-šakuš-ana became king; he ruled for 60 years.
Lugal-ure ruled for 120 years.
Argandea ruled for 7 years.
Three kings ruled for 187 years.

 

Then Uruk was defeated and the kingship was taken to Ur.
In Ur, Nanne became king; he ruled for 54+N years.
Mes-ki'ag-Nanna, son of Nanne, ruled for 48 years.
[...], the son of [...], ruled for 2 years.
Three kings ruled for [...] years.

 

Then Ur was defeated and the kingship was taken to Adab.
In Adab, Lugal-ane-mundu became king; he ruled for 90 years.
One king ruled for 90 years.

 

Then Adab was defeated and the kingship was taken to Mari.
In Mari, Anubu became king; he ruled for 30 years.
Anba, son of Anubu, ruled for 17 years.
Bazi, the leather worker, ruled for 30 years.
Zizi, the fuller, ruled for 20 years.
Lim-er, the pašišu-priest, ruled for 30 years.
Šarrum-iter ruled for 9 years.
Six kings ruled for 136 years.

 

Then Mari was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kiš.
In Kiš, Ku-Baba, the woman tavern-keeper, who made firm the foundations of Kiš, became king; she ruled for 100 years.
One queen ruled for 100 years.

 

Then Kiš was defeated and the kingship was taken to Akšak.
In Akšak, Unzi became king; he ruled for 30 years.
Undalulu ruled for 6 years.
Urur ruled for 6 years.
Puzur-Nirah ruled for 20 years.
Išu-Il ruled for 24 years.
Šu-Sin, son of Išu-Il, ruled for 7 years.
Six kings ruled for 93 years.

 

Then Akšak was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kiš.
In Kiš, Puzur-Sin, son of Ku-Baba, became king; he ruled for 25 years.
Ur-Zababa, son of Puzur-Sin, ruled for 400.
Simudara ruled for 30 years.
Usi-watar ruled for 7 years.
Ištar-muti ruled for 11 years.
Išme-Šamaš ruled for 11 years.
Nanniya, the stonecutter, ruled for 7 years.
Seven kings ruled for 491 years.

 

Then Kiš was defeated and the kingship was taken to Uruk.
In Uruk, Lugalzagesi became king; he ruled for 25 years. (2341-2316)
One king ruled for 25 years.