Sumerian King List: Propaganda or History?

"The Sumerian King List (abbreviated as SKL and also known as Chronicle of the One Monarchy) is an ancient Sumerian document whose earliest version is dated to Mesopotamia's Ur III period (circa 2112 to circa 2004 BCE) relating how kingship was first established and how it was passed on from city to city from Eridu to the Dynasty of Isin (circa 1953 to circa 1717 BCE) and its contemporary, the Dynasty of Larsa (circa 1961 to circa 1674 BCE)."

"The document was heavily redacted and revised as city-states came to use it to legitimize their right to rule over the region, and so the latter part recognizing the Isin-Larsa period did not appear in the original version, nor in others until the Isin dynasty found it useful. The purpose of the text was to legitimize rulers, not to document actual history."

"Some early variants of the text omit the antediluvian kings entirely, and one reason could be these impossible lifespans (such as Alulim of Eridu ruling for 28,800 years) but some scholars have suggested that the 'years' given could be read as months or that the long lifespans were given as a sign of respect and a nod to the divine nature of kingship -"

The earliest SKL version dates to Mesopotamia's Ur III period (circa 2112–2004 BCE) and traces kingship from Eridu through the Isin and Larsa dynasties. The document underwent heavy redaction as city-states adapted it to legitimize their own rule, so later sections reflect political motives rather than factual chronology. Early portions list antediluvian rulers with implausible reign lengths, prompting variant manuscripts that omit those kings. Some scholars propose alternative readings of the time units or view extreme lifespans as honorific and divine indicators, but such interpretations remain speculative. Archaeological and textual evidence contradicts the SKL's continuous succession claims.

Read at World History Encyclopedia