In the Anunnaki narrative, what city and figure correspond to the first royal city of Eridu and its inaugural king Alulim from the Sumerian King List?

Hello! This is a fascinating question that really gets to the heart of where Sumerian mythology, history, and modern interpretations intertwine. Let me break it down for you in plain language.

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Eridu and Alulim: Correspondences in Myth and "Story"

Simply put, we can understand it like this:

• Eridu in the Anunnaki stories corresponds to the first "colony" or "operational base" established on Earth by the great god Enki.
• Alulim's identity is a bit more complex. He is most commonly thought to correspond to the mythological figure Adapa, or perhaps represents a "personified record" of the era of Enki's own rule.

Let me explain in detail below to make it clearer.

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1. Eridu: The First Home of the Gods

The Sumerian King List opens with the line: "Kingship descended from heaven; kingship was in Eridu." This shows that in the Sumerian worldview, Eridu was the first city on Earth to have a "king," the starting point of civilization.

And in the Anunnaki mythological stories?

This matches perfectly! According to Sumerian creation myths, like Enki and the World Order, the great god Enki (called "Ea" in later Akkadian), the god of wisdom, magic, and fresh water, came down from heaven and the first city he established on Earth was Eridu.

• Mythological Perspective: Enki built Eridu by the water (in a marshy wetland) because he was the water god. Here, he laid the foundations of civilization and established order, so Eridu was also known as the "Holy City."
• Modern "Anunnaki Story" Perspective (e.g., Zecharia Sitchin's theories): In this version, Enki is one of the first Anunnaki commanders to arrive on Earth. He led his team to land near the Persian Gulf, establishing their first outpost at Eridu, codenamed "E.RI.DU," meaning "Home Far Away." Their mission was to mine Earth's gold, and Eridu was their "Earth Headquarters" or "Base One."

So, from either perspective, the identity of Eridu is very clear: It was the first outpost, holy city, and cradle of civilization established on Earth by the great god Enki.

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2. Alulim: Who Was the First "King"?

The Sumerian King List states that Alulim was the first king of Eridu, reigning for an astonishingly long time—28,800 years! This superhuman lifespan itself strongly suggests he was not an ordinary mortal. Regarding who he corresponds to, there are two main prevailing views:

View One: He is Adapa

This is the explanation favored by many scholars and mythology enthusiasts.

• Who is Adapa? Adapa is the "first perfect man" or "first civilized man" created by Enki himself in myth. He was extremely intelligent, served as a priest in Eridu, and can be seen as Enki's representative among humans. A famous myth tells how Adapa was summoned to the celestial realm; the father of the gods, Anu, wanted to grant him immortality, but Adapa, following Enki's "well-meaning advice" (which was actually misleading), refused the food of life, missing his chance to become a god.
• Why him? Alulim as the "first king" and Adapa as the "first civilized man/priest" share highly overlapping identities. Both are associated with Eridu, both are the "first man," and both were directly subordinate to the great god Enki. Therefore, many believe the "King Alulim" in the Sumerian King List is essentially the mythical "Sage Adapa."

View Two: He is an Embodiment of Enki Himself

This explanation also holds merit.

• The Era of Divine Rule: Before human kings appeared, the mythological age saw gods ruling cities directly. Alulim's reign of 28,800 years is utterly unlike a human lifespan and instead aligns perfectly with a divine timescale.
• A Title for Kingship: Therefore, the name "Alulim" might not refer to a specific person. Instead, it could be a "king's name" used by the authors of the Sumerian King List to denote the long mythological period when the great god Enki himself directly ruled Eridu. In other words, when human scribes recorded history, they recorded that divine ruler under the name of a mortal king, "Alulim."

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To Summarize

To make it easier for you, here's a simple table:

So, next time you see Eridu and Alulim in the Sumerian King List, you can directly think of the Anunnaki stories: the great god Enki and his team establishing their first shining outpost on Earth, and that glorious beginning managed either by Enki himself or by his most accomplished "creation," Adapa!