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Relation to Genesis
Some scholars (e.g. Wood, 2003) have drawn attention to the fact that there are remarkable
similarities between the Sumerian King List and accounts in Genesis. For example, Genesis tells
the story of the great flood and Noahs efforts to save all the species of animals on Earth from
destruction. Likewise, in the Sumerian King List, there is discussion of a great deluge: the
flood swept over the earth.
The Sumerian King List provides a list of eight kings (some versions have 10) who reigned for
long periods of time before the flood, ranging from 18,600 to 43,200 years. This is similar to
Genesis 5, where the generations from Creation to the Flood are recorded. Interestingly, between
Adam and Noah there are eight generations, just as there are eight kings between the beginning
of kingship and the flood in the Sumerian King List.
After the flood, the King List records kings who ruled for much shorter periods of time. Thus,
the Sumerian King List not only documents a great flood early in mans history, but it also
reflects the same pattern of decreasing longevity as found in the Bible - men had extremely long
life spans before the flood and much shorter life spans following the flood (Wood, 2003).
The Sumerian King List truly is a perplexing mystery. Why would the Sumerians combine
mythical rulers with actual historical rulers in one document? Why are there so many similarities
with Genesis? Why were ancient kings described as ruling for thousands of years? These are just
some of the questions that still remain unanswered after more than a century of research.
By April Holloway
References
The Sumerian King List University of Oxford
Great Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology: The Sumerian King List by Bryant G. Wood
The Sumerian king list: translation - The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
The Sumerian King List - by L.C. Geerts
Reinvestigating the Antediluvian Sumerian King List by R. K. Harrison
The Sumerian King List by Thorkild Jacobsen (The Oriental Institute of the University of
California)
From: http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/sumerian-king-list-still-puzzles-historians-after-
more-century-research-001287?nopaging=1