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En-men-dur-ana
The Weld-Blundell Prism is among the oldest, most well-preserved, and better-known versions of the Sumerian King List, and includes the inscription for En-men-gal-ana.[1]
High King of Sumer
Reignc. 2900 BCE
PredecessorEn-sipad-zid-ana[2]
SuccessorUbara-Tutu
King of Sippar
Reignc. 2900 BCE
PredecessorUnknown
SuccessorUnknown
BornSippar
Era name and dates
Early Dynastic Ic. 2900 – c. 2700 BCE (MC)
Sumerian𒂗𒉺𒇻𒍣𒀭𒈾[3]
DynastyDynasty of Sippar
ReligionSumerian religion

En-men-dur-ana (also Emmeduranki) of Sippar was an ancient Sumerian king, whose name appears in the Sumerian King List as the seventh pre-dynastic king of Sumer. He was said to have reigned for 21,000 years.[4] The Uruk List of Kings and Sages pairs seven antediluvian kings each with his own apkallu. The fourth apkallu (Enmegalama) is paired up with En-men-gal-ana.[5] The Uruk List of Kings and Sages pairs seven antediluvian kings each with his own apkallu. The seventh apkallu (Utuabzu) is paired up with En-men-gal-ana.[5]

Etymology

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His name means "chief of the powers of Dur-an-ki", while "Dur-an-ki" in turn means "the meeting-place of heaven and earth" (literally "bond of above and below").[6]

Historicity

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After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridu. In Eridu, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28,800 years. Alaljar ruled for 36,000 years. 2 kings; they ruled for 64,800 years. Then Eridu fell and the kingship was taken to Bad-tibira. In Bad-tibira, En-men-lu-ana ruled for 43,200 years. En-men-gal-ana ruled for 28,800 years. Dumuzid, the shepherd, ruled for 36,000 years. 3 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. 1 king; he ruled for 28,800 years. Then Larak fell and the kingship was taken to Sippar. In Sippar, En-men-dur-ana became king; he ruled for 21,000 years. 1 king; he ruled for 21,000 years. Then Sippar fell and the kingship was taken to Shuruppak.

Geopolitical context

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En-men-dur-ana's city Sippar was associated with the worship of the sun-god Utu, later called Shamash in the Semitic language. Sumerian and Babylonian literature attributed the founding of Sippar to Utu.[12]

Mythologyand legendary exploits

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A myth written in a Semitic language tells of Emmeduranki, subsequently being taken to heaven by the gods Shamash and Adad, and taught the secrets of heaven and of earth. In particular, Emmeduranki was taught arts of divination, such as how to inspect oil on water and how to discern messages in the liver of animals and several other divine secrets.[13][14][15][16][17][18]

En-men-dur-ana, held significance among the Pre-Sumerians as he was the ancestor from whom all priests of the Sun God had to be able to trace descent.[19]

Enmeduranki is sometimes considered a Meospotamian model for the biblical patriarch Enoch.[20] Enmeduranki appears as the seventh name on the Sumerian King List, whereas Enoch is the seventh figure in the list of patriarchs in Genesis. Both of them were also said to have been taken up into heaven. Sippar, the city of which Enmeduranki is king of, is associated with sun worship, while the 365 years that Enoch is stated to have lived may be linked to the number of days in the solar calendar.[21]

See also

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References

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Notes

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Citations

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  1. ^ Ashmolean 2017.
  2. ^ a b Black et al. 2006.
  3. ^ Sjöberg, Leichty & Tinney 2021.
  4. ^ "The Sumerian king list: translation". etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  5. ^ a b Sanders 2017, pp. 52–59.
  6. ^ A. R. George. Babylonian topographical texts. p 261.
  7. ^ Jacobsen 1939.
  8. ^ Langdon 1923.
  9. ^ Langdon 2007.
  10. ^ Lendering 2020.
  11. ^ Wang 2014.
  12. ^ James B. Pritchard. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. 3rd ed. pp 43, 164, 265, 270, 271.
  13. ^ Robert Alter. Genesis. p. 24
  14. ^ John W. Rogerson and Philip R. Davies, The Old Testament World. p 203
  15. ^ Wilfred G. Lambert. Babylonian oracle questions. p 4.
  16. ^ Wilfred G. Lambert, Enmeduranki and Related Material. Journal of Cuneiform Studies. Vol. 21, Special Volume Honoring Professor Albrecht Goetze (1967), pp. 126-138
  17. ^ J. J. Collins. The apocalyptic imagination: an introduction to Jewish apocalyptic literature. pp 44-47
  18. ^ I. Tzvi Abusch, K. van der Toorn. Mesopotamian magic: textual, historical, and interpretative perspectives. p24.
  19. ^ Isidore Singer, Cyrus Adler. The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History , Volume 5 p. 179.,
  20. ^ Victor P. Hamilton. The Book of Genesis. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1990. pp 257-258.
  21. ^ R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 2 volumes., tr J. McHugh (New York: McGraw-Hill, repr, 1965), 1:188.

Sources

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Preceded by 6th King of Sumer
legendary
Succeeded by

Category:Antediluvian Sumerian kings Category:Sumerian kings