Babum of Kish was the fifth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list . [1] Babum is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived (Early Dynastic period). [2] Like other leader of the first dynasty, his name is an Akkadian word, bābum meaning "gate".
The Sumerian King List or Chronicle of the One Monarchy is an ancient literary composition written in Sumerian that was likely created and redacted to legitimize the claims to power of various city-states and kingdoms in southern Mesopotamia during the late third and early second millennium BC. It does so by repetitively listing Sumerian cities, the kings that ruled there, and the lengths of their reigns. Especially in the early part of the list, these reigns often span thousands of years. In the oldest known version, dated to the Ur III period but probably based on Akkadian source material, the SKL reflected a more linear transition of power from Kish, the first city to receive kingship, to Akkad. In later versions from the Old Babylonian period, the list consisted of a large number of cities between which kingship was transferred, reflecting a more cyclical view of how kingship came to a city, only to be inevitably replaced by the next. In its best-known and best-preserved version, as recorded on the Weld-Blundell Prism, the SKL begins with a number of antediluvian kings, who ruled before a flood swept over the land, after which kingship went to Kish. It ends with a dynasty from Isin, which is well-known from other contemporary sources.
The history of Sumer spans the 5th to 3rd millennia BCE in southern Mesopotamia, and is taken to include the prehistoric Ubaid and Uruk periods. Sumer was the region's earliest known civilization and ended with the downfall of the Third Dynasty of Ur around 2004 BCE. It was followed by a transitional period of Amorite states before the rise of Babylonia in the 18th century BCE.
Kish is an important archaeological site in Babil Governorate (Iraq), located 80 kilometers south of Baghdad and 12 kilometers east of the ancient city of Babylon. The Ubaid period site of Ras al-Amiyah is 8 kilometers away. It was occupied from the Ubaid to Hellenistic periods. In Early Dynastic times the city's patron deity was Inanna with her consort Enki. Her temple, at Tell Ingharra, was (E)-hursag-kalama. By Old Babylonian times the patron deities had become Zababa, along with his consort, the goddess Bau and Istar. His temple Emeteursag was at Uhaimir.
Enmebaragesi (Sumerian: 𒂗𒈨𒁈𒄄𒋛En-me-barag-gi-se [EN-ME-BARA2-GI4-SE]) originally Mebarasi (𒈨𒁈𒋛) was the penultimate king of the first dynasty of Kish and is recorded as having reigned 900 years in the Sumerian King List. Like his son and successor Aga he reigned during a period when Kish had hegemony over Sumer. Enmebaragesi signals a momentous documentary leap from mytho-history to history, since he is the earliest ruler on the king list whose name is attested directly from archaeology.
Aga commonly known as Aga of Kish, was the twenty-third and last king in the first dynasty of Kish during the Early Dynastic I period. He is listed in the Sumerian King List and many sources as the son of Enmebaragesi. The Kishite king ruled the city at its peak, probably reaching beyond the territory of Kish, including Umma and Zabala.
Nangishlishma of Kish was the third Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish,who reigned for 670 years according to some versions of the Sumerian king list. His name does not appear in Early Dynastic inscriptions, meaning that he is unlikely to have been a real historical person.
En-tarah-ana of Kish was the fourth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. The Weld-Blundell Prism was damaged at this point, so Thorkild Jacobsen had restored this ruler's name as Bahina. En-tarah-ana is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived. He is awarded a reign of 420 years, 3 months, and 3 and a half days. Why the length of his reign is so specific compared to the recorded lengths of the other kings of the Early Dynastic is unknown.
Puannum of Kish was the sixth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. Puannum is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived.
Kalibum of Kish was the seventh Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. This name is written "Ga-lí-bu-um ... normalized as Kalibum", and is believed to be derived from the Akkadian for 'hound'. Kalibum is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived.
Kalumum of Kish was the eighth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. Like the other members of the First dynasty prior to Etana, he was named for an animal; his name "Kalumun" is Akkadian for "lamb". Kalulum is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived.
Zuqaqip of Kish was the ninth Sumerian king of the semi-legendary First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian King List, where his length of reign is given as 900 years. His name means "Scorpion". Zuqaqip is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived.
Atab of Kish was the tenth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. His successor was his son Mashda. Atab is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived.
Mashda of Kish was the eleventh Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. He was a son of the king Atab. Like the other members of the First dynasty prior to Etana, he was named for an animal; his name "Mashda" is Akkadian for "gazelle". Mashda is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived.
Arwium of Kish was the twelfth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. His father was Mashda, the previous ruler. Like the other members of the First dynasty prior to Etana, he was named for an animal; his name "Arwium" is Akkadian for "male gazelle". Arwium is unlikely to have existed as his name does not appear on texts dating from the period in which he was presumed to have lived.
Melem-Kish of Kish was the sixteenth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian King List (SKL). His father was En-me-nuna, whom he succeeded as ruler. The kings on the early part of the SKL are usually not considered historical, except when they are mentioned in Early Dynastic documents. Melem-Kish is not one of them.
Barsal-nuna of Kish was the seventeenth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian King List. His father was En-me-nuna; he succeeded his brother Melem-Kish. His name may have meant Sheep of the Prince. Barsal means A sheep. Barsal-nuna is not mentioned in Early Dynastic documents, meaning that is likely that he was not a historical person.
Zamug of Kish was the eighteenth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. His father was Barsal-nuna, whom he succeeded as ruler. His name does not appear in other documents than the SKL, meaning that it is unlikely that he was a historical person.
Tizqar of Kish was the nineteenth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish and succeeded his father Zamuq as a ruler, according to some versions of the Sumerian King List. His name does not appear in Early Dynastic inscriptions, meaning that he is unlikely to have been a real historical person.
Ilku of Kish was the twentieth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian King List. His name does not appear in Early Dynastic inscriptions, meaning that he is unlikely to have been a real historical person.
Iltasadum of Kish was the twenty-first Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian King List. His name does not appear in Early Dynastic inscriptions, meaning that he is unlikely to have been a real historical person.
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