In the Anunnaki theory, the Great Flood was a plan to eradicate humanity. Why, then, after the flood, was 'kingship' lowered again from heaven to the city of Kish?

Hey, you've hit the nail on the head! This is indeed a very interesting and seemingly contradictory point in the Anunnaki story. To understand this, we need to look at the whole story together, not just the "Great Flood" episode in isolation.

Simply put, the answer is: The Great Flood wasn't meant to completely wipe out humanity; it was more like a "format and reboot." After the flood, the Anunnaki needed to establish a more efficient and controllable system for managing humans, and "Kingship" was the core of this new model.

Let me break it down for you, keeping it as straightforward as possible:

1. The Great Flood: A Controversial "Downsizing" Plan

First, we need to understand that the decision to cleanse the Earth with the Great Flood was primarily made by Enlil, the supreme leader of the Anunnaki. His reason was that humans were too "noisy," multiplied too much, and disturbed the gods' (i.e., their) rest. You can think of him as a cranky CEO, annoyed by the noise of his employees, deciding in a fit of anger to fire everyone.

However, this decision was controversial within the Anunnaki ranks. Especially Enki, the great god who created humans, strongly opposed it. Enki was the chief scientist; humans were his "masterpiece," and he didn't want to see his life's work destroyed.

So, Enki secretly found a man named Utnapishtim (the prototype for Noah) and leaked the gods' plan to him, instructing him to build a great boat to preserve the "seeds" of humanity and various life forms.

Key Point: This shows that the Great Flood was never a consensus among all the Anunnaki from the start. It was more like Enlil's autocratic decision, while Enki provided a backup plan, ensuring the spark of human civilization survived.

2. After the Flood: Even the Gods Regretted It

When the Great Flood actually came, submerging everything, even some lesser gods were terrified. After the waters receded, when Enlil discovered there were survivors, he was initially furious.

But when Utnapishtim offered sacrifices, the hungry gods (including Enlil) gathered around. It was then they realized a serious problem: Without humans, who would make offerings to them? Who would mine the gold? Who would do the work?

They discovered that firing all the employees meant the company couldn't function either. This "format" had gone a bit too far.

3. "Kingship": A Brand New Management System

Learning from this lesson, the Anunnaki (mainly after Enlil and Enki reached a reconciliation) decided they could no longer let the humans below "run wild." They needed a completely new, top-down management system to control human society.

This system was – Kingship.

You can understand it like this:

Before the Flood: Humans were in a "free-range" mode. The Anunnaki gave direct orders, but human society was loosely structured, inefficient, and constantly problematic (like being too noisy).
After the Flood: The Anunnaki adopted an "agent" model. They no longer handled everything personally but chose a representative from among humans – the King.

This king's power "descended from heaven," meaning his legitimacy came directly from the gods. He was like the gods' "project manager" or "foreman" on Earth.

The King's Duties:

Convey the Gods' Will: Ensure human society developed according to divine plans.
Organize Labor: Lead the people in building temples, extracting resources, cultivating land – all to serve the gods.
Maintain Social Order: Establish laws, govern the populace, and ensure situations that annoyed the gods (like excessive "noise") didn't recur.

4. Why Kish?

According to the Sumerian King List, after the Great Flood, "Kingship" was lowered from heaven again, and the first city to receive this "mandate" was Kish.

This held immense symbolic meaning:

The Dawn of a New Era: Kish represented the first "pilot city" of the post-flood civilization. It marked the end of the old era and the beginning of the new order.
A Model of Divine Rule: By establishing Kingship in Kish, the Anunnaki declared to all surviving humans: "See, this is the new model we endorse. You must all build your cities and nations under our authority, following this example."

To Summarize

So, the entire logical chain is:

Humans too noisy → Enlil decides to "format" with the Great Flood → Enki secretly preserves a spark → After the flood, the gods realize they can't function without humans → Decide to establish a more controllable "agent" management system → Kingship is born → Kish becomes the first city to receive Kingship, marking the start of the new order.

Therefore, the Great Flood and the descent of Kingship are not contradictory; they are causally linked. The Flood was the "destruction," Kingship was the "construction." This was a major upgrade in the Anunnaki's strategy for ruling Earth.