| Alulim | |
|---|---|
| King (Sumerian:𒈗,romanized: lugal; transliterated:lu.gal) | |
 | |
| Successor | Alalgar |
| Sumerian | 𒀉𒇻𒅆 |
Alulim (Sumerian:𒀉𒇻𒅆,romanized: Álulim;transliterated:a₂.lu.lim) was a mythologicalMesopotamian ruler, regarded as the first king ever to rule. He is known from theSumerian King List,Ballad of Early Rulers, and other similar sources which invariably place him inEridu and assign a reign lasting thousands of years to him. The tablet of Old Babylonian period (c. 1900–1600 BC) from Ur describing the divine appointment of Alulim by the gods notes that he was chosen among "vast and many people," and appointed by gods for the "shepherdship of the entirety of the many people".[2] Another myth describing his appointment by the gods and incantations treating him as the creator of insects are also known. He is absent from Early Dynastic sources, and he is considered fictional byAssyriologists. His name was preserved in laterGreek,Arabic andPersian works.
Alulim's name was written incuneiform asA2-lu-lim orA-lu-lim and can be translated fromSumerian as either "horn of thered deer" or "seed of the red deer" depending on the variable first sign.[3] Jeremiah Peterson suggests that it might reflect the Mesopotamian belief that at the dawn of history, when Alulim was believed to live, humans behaved in animal-like manner, as attested in texts such asSheep and Grain orHow Grain Came to Sumer.[4] A further attested spelling, Alulu, writtenA-lu-lu, might represent anAkkadianized form.[3] The name Ayalu, known from theUruk List of Kings and Sages (Paired withApkalluAdapa)[5] where it is writtenA-a-lu, appears to be another variant, resulting from reinterpretation reliant on the partiallyhomophonous wordayyalu, 'deer' or 'stag'.[3]
The name Alulim is not attested in anyEarly Dynastic sources and was never used as an ordinary given name.[6] The only indirect parallels are the occurrences of individuals named Alulu (with variable spelling) in early texts fromFara and other pre-Sargonic sites.[7]
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Alulim is regarded as a fictional figure byAssyriologists.[8] References to him are largely limited to lists of legendary ancient rulers.[9] He was traditionally considered the first Mesopotamian king,[10] and his reign was placed before the mythicalgreat flood.[11] All known sources listing primordial kings consistently state that he lived inEridu, unless no mention of any cities is made.[10] This tradition reflected the perception of Eridu as a city of particular symbolic importance.[12] His reign was described as supernaturally long.[13] Its duration was regarded asproverbial, as indicated by a letter of the astrologer Ašarēdu to an unspecified Babylonian king, in which he wished him to be blessed by the gods ofBabylon with "years of Alulu".[14] According to theSumerian King List, Alulim retained his position for 28,800 years before he was succeeded byAlalngar, who in turn reigned for 36,000 years.[15] However, the contents of theSumerian King List are assumed to not reflect historical reality, and cannot be used to reconstruct early Mesopotamian chronology.[16] There is no evidence that the figure of Alulim was incorporated into it from a preexisting older source.[8] A different tradition about the length of his reign is preserved in theBallad of Early Rulers, which states that he ruled for 36,000 years.[15] According toIrving Finkel, other similar texts give further variant figures, such as 36,200 years (tablet BM 40565) or 67,200 years (tablet WB 62).[17]
A tablet of theEridu Genesis fromUr first published in 2018 describes the appointment of Alulim.[18][19]
(Obverse) | (Reverse) |
It has been interpreted as anetiology of the institution of kingship, with the first ruler being chosen from among mankind to act as theshepherd of the early, still animalistic humans, thus leading to the development of human civilization.[4] The gods responsible for Alulim's appointment in this text areAn,Enlil andEnki, who are also credited with assigning his name to him.[20] Jeremiah Peterson notes that the grammar of the passage might not designate him as a human, which could indicate that in this context Alulim is not a personal name, but merely a description of the entity chosen to act as a ruler.[21]
In theBallad of Early Rulers, a composition noted for its large number of allusions to other works of Mesopotamian literature,[22] Alulim is listed among famous ancient figures alongsideEtana,Gilgamesh,Ziusudra,Humbaba,Enkidu,Bazi andZizi.[23] The fact that kings associated both with southern cities, such as Alulim, and ones at home in the north, such as Etana, are mentioned side by side might indicate that it was composed during the period of exodus of scribes from south to north in theOld Babylonian period.[24] Bendt Alster compares this text to adrinking song and notes it appears to enumerate renowned legendary figures in seemingly humorous context, in order to explain the need to find joy in the present.[25]
Alulim is also attested inNeo-Babylonian incantations against fieldpests, acknowledge him as a "king from before the deluge",[14] though in this context he is also addressed as the creator of insects.[9] He is described as capable of expelling them with awand, and as responsible for theweeding of fields belonging toNergal.[26] Elsewhere the expulsion of insects is the domain of the deitiesNinkilim andEnnugi, and it is not known how Alulim came to function as a similar figure.[27] The same texts also state that he was believed to enjoy milk,ghee and beer, but could not stand "queenNisaba", here ametonym for grain.[28]
Although earlier tradition, Me-Turan/Tell-Haddad tablet, describesAdapa as postdiluvian ruler of Eridu,[29] in late tradition,Adapa came to be viewed as Alulim's vizier.[9] It was believed that he provided the king with wisdom on behalf of the godEa.[28] Piotr Steinkeller based on the connection between them suggests Alulim could himself be viewed as a sagacious Adapa-like figure, though he admits no sources provide information about the perception of his character in Mesopotamian tradition.[12] The association between Alulim and Adapa is attested in lists of rulers and corresponding sages known from theHellenistic period, and additionally in an earlier damaged text fromSultantepe labeled as a letter from Adapa to Alulim, following a convention of so-called "scribal letters".[30] However, a distinct tradition instead placed Adapa in the times of another mythical king,Enmerkar.[31]
Eckhart Frahm has tentatively suggested that it is possible that the vowel pattern in the alternate form of Alulim's name, Alulu, influenced the formation of the namePazuzu.[32] A reference to Alulu occurs in a broken context in a heavily damagedMiddle Assyrian (or later) text fromAssur which might link him to Pazuzu, if the restoration of the latter name is correct, though due to the state of preservation the contents are presently impossible to interpret.[33]
Mary R. Bachvarova notes that in theHurrianSong of Birth, the primordial deityAlalu who appears as the original "king in heaven" (king of the gods) bears a name similar to Alulim's.[34] She suggests that this text might have been influenced by theSumerian King List, with the reigns of the early rulers of the gods being patterned on the traditions pertaining to early Mesopotamian legendary kings.[35]
A Greek version of Alulim's name, Aloros (Ancient Greek:Ἄλωρος), is known from citations fromBerossus'Babyloniaca[28] preserved in the works of authors such asEusebius andSyncellus.[3] Berossus' account of early kings depended on the tradition known fromSumerian King List.[36] He states that Aloros reigned for 36000 years and was succeeded by Alaparos (Ancient Greek:αλαπαρος), presumed to be an adaptation ofAlalgar.[17] His writings were later partiallyeuhemerized byAnnianus, who combined his account with traditions pertaining toEnoch and withGenesis 6.[37] His work was in turn an influence on the writings of the astrologerAbu Ma'shar al-Balkhi and onAl-Biruni'sQānūn, cited as sources inMinhaj-i Siraj Juzjani'sTabaqat-i Nasiri (written in 1259–1260), where a derivative of Aloros, Aylūrūs (Arabic:الوروس), is presented as the first king of the people standing in opposition togiants.[38] Juzjani in his account equates him withGayūmart.[39]
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None | King of Sumer (legendary) | Succeeded by |
| King ofEridu (legendary) | ||