Topics : Sumer
The Eridu Genesis
The Eridu Genesis, also known as the Sumerian creation myth, is one of the earliest known narratives of its kind. Discovered on a single fragmentary tablet excavated in Nippur in 1893 and recognized in 1912, it dates back to around 1600 BCE. This myth forms part of a group of Sumerian creation myths found at the same site, including the Barton Cylinder and the Debate between sheep and grain, and … →
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), in its second edition, is a comprehensive digital project aimed at compiling, translating, and publishing the extensive body of Sumerian literature. This literature, dating back to around 2500 BCE, includes a vast array of poetic forms such as hymns, laments, prayers, fables, and proverbs, largely reconstructed from thousands of fragmented … →
Enlil and Ninlil: The Begetting of Nanna
"Enlil and Ninlil: The Begetting of Nanna" is a Sumerian creation myth that dates back to the mid to late 3rd millennium BC. The story is set in the ancient city of Nippur, which is portrayed as a divine city inhabited by gods before humans. Enlil, a prominent god in the Sumerian pantheon, is featured as a central character in this myth. →
Debate Between Winter and Summer
The "Debate between Winter and Summer," also known as the "Myth of Emesh and Enten," is a Sumerian creation myth dating from the mid to late 3rd millennium BC. This narrative is composed on clay tablets and is part of the ancient Mesopotamian tradition of disputations or debate poems. →
Debate Between Sheep and Grain
The "Debate between sheep and grain" or "Myth of cattle and grain" is a significant Sumerian creation myth from the mid to late 3rd millennium BC. This myth is one of several "debate" topics known from Sumerian literature, characterized as disputations. Such debates were philosophical in nature and often addressed humanity's place in the world, reflecting a sophisticated level of abstract thought … →
Barton Cylinder
The Barton Cylinder, also known as CBS 8383, is a significant artifact of Sumerian literature and mythology. Dating from the mid to late 3rd millennium BCE, approximately around 2400 BCE, it is a clay cylinder inscribed with a Sumerian cuneiform text. The cylinder was discovered in 1889 at the site of Nippur during excavations by the University of Pennsylvania and is currently housed in the … →