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The Sumerian King List marks the flood with a terse statement that divides all of history into before and after. Genesis 7 describes the same world-destroying event in detail, with the waters overwhelming the earth and destroying all life.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Sumerian King List 1:11
Ancient Near East
When kingship had come down from heaven, kingship was at Eridu. At Eridu, Alulim was king; he reigned 28,800 years. Alalgar reigned 36,000 years. At Bad-tibira, Enmenluanna reigned 43,200 years. Enmengalanna reigned 28,800 years. The divine Dumuzi, the shepherd, reigned 36,000 years. At Larak, Ensipaziana reigned 28,800 years. At Sippar, Enmenduranna was king; he reigned 21,000 years. At Suruppak, Ubartutu was king; he reigned 18,600 years. Five cities; eight kings ruled 241,200 years. The flood swept over.
Date: c. 2100 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Genesis 7:17
Hebrew Bible
16 Those that entered were male and female, just as God commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in. 17 The flood engulfed the earth for 40 days. As the waters increased, they lifted the ark and raised it above the earth. 18 The waters completely overwhelmed the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters. 19 The waters completely inundated the earth so that even all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered. 20 The waters rose more than 20 feet above the mountains. 21 And all living things that moved on the earth died, including the birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all humankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 So the Lord destroyed every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, including people, animals, creatures that creep along the ground, and birds of the sky. They were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark survived. 24 The waters prevailed over the earth for 150 days.
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Notes and References
“… Now, it is quite clear that there is a superficial parallel between the Sumerian King List and Genesis 5–11. This parallel consists in a list of pre-Flood individuals who lived amazingly long lives. Then the Flood brings civilization to a halt. Next there appears a line of post-Flood persons whose life spans are considerably shorter. …”
Hamilton, Victor P.
The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1-17
(p. 157) William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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