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. [1] 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. [2]
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 fictional 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.
Kubaba was a legendary Mesopotamian queen who according to the Sumerian King List ruled over Kish for a hundred years before the rise of the dynasty of Akshak. It is typically assumed that she was not a historical figure.
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.
Jushur (cuneiform: 𒄑𒃡ĜIŠ.UR3; Sumerian: Ĝušur) appears as a king of Kish in the Sumerian king list, a literary composition created in Mesopotamia at the beginning of the second millennium BC. He is either the first king on the list to be mentioned, or the first king after a flood, depending on the version of the SKL. According to the list, Jushur reigned for 1200 years. Jushur does not appear in Early Dynastic inscriptions. His historicity, like that of many other kings of the earlier parts of the Sumerian King List, is considered unlikely.
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.
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.
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.
Balih of Kish was the fourteenth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. His father was Etana, 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. Balih is not one of them.
En-me-nuna of Kish was the fifteenth Sumerian king in the First Dynasty of Kish, according to the Sumerian King List. The kings on the early part of the SKL are usually not considered historical, except when they are mentioned in Early Dynastic documents. En-me-nuna 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.
Susada appears as the first king of the second dynasty of Kish in some versions of the Sumerian King List. According to that literary composition, Susada ruled for 201 years. The kings on the early part of the SKL are usually not considered historical, except when they are mentioned in contemporary documents. Susada is not one of them.
Dadasig appears as the second king of the second dynasty of Kish in some versions of the Sumerian King List. According to that literary composition, Dadasig ruled for 81 years. The kings on the early part of the SKL are usually not considered historical, except when they are mentioned in contemporary documents. Dadasig is not one of them.
The Sumer–Elam war took place across present-day Iraq and Iran and is one of the earliest conflicts for which contemporaneous, anecdotal evidence exists, though details of this war are slight. Fought between the forces of Sumer and Elam, it began c. 2600 BC. The written sources on the conflict are the earliest mentioning Elam's existence.
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