“Discovering The Oxford University Interpretations of The Anunnaki”

I’ve read quite a few books in the last year about the Anunnaki, and there is so much information about them that just trying to figure out where to begin can sometimes be very hard. To understand who the Anunnaki were, you must go back to when they were first called the Anuna by the Sumerians.

According to Oxford University, “The Anunnaki (Anunna, Anukki, Enunaki) are the Sumerian deities of the old primordial time; they are chthonic deities of fertility, associated eventually with the underworld, where they became judges. They take their name from the old sky god An (Anu).”

The ancient Mesopotamians used temples and shrines in different city-states to worship multiple Anuna gods. Using this website http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/, I can read and learn about the Anuna, or shall I say the Anunnaki, at my leisure. Of course, I haven’t read everything the website offers, but the stuff I learned so far was fascinating.

Below, you can read some of the translations made from the Sumerian/Akkadian cuneiform tablets thanks to Oxford University using this website https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/ or reading this book.

“The Flood story: c.1.7.4
……seat in heaven. …… flood. …… mankind. So he made ……. Then Nintur ……. Holy Inana made a lament for its people. Enki took counsel with himself. An, Enlil, Enki and Ninḫursaĝa made all the gods of heaven and Earth take an oath by invoking An and Enlil. In those days Zi-ud-sura the king, the gudug priest, ……. He fashioned ……. The humble, committed, reverent ……. Day by day, standing constantly at ……. Something that was not a dream appeared, conversation ……, …… taking an oath by invoking heaven and Earth. In the Ki-ur, the gods …… a wall. Zi-ud-sura, standing at its side, heard: “Side-wall standing at my left side, ……. Side-wall, I will speak words to you; take heed of my words, pay attention to my instructions. A flood will sweep over the …… in all the ……. A decision that the seed of mankind is to be destroyed has been made. The verdict, the word of the divine assembly, cannot be revoked. The order announced by An and Enlil cannot be overturned. Their kingship, their term has been cut off; their heart should be rested about this. Now ……. What …….” (approx. 38 lines missing).

The Flood story: c.1.7.4
All the windstorms and gales arose together, and the flood swept over the ……. After the flood had swept over the land, and waves and windstorms had rocked the huge boat for seven days and seven nights, Utu the sun god came out, illuminating heaven and Earth. Zi-ud-sura could drill an opening in the huge boat and the hero Utu entered the huge boat with his rays. Zi-ud-sura the king prostrated himself before Utu. The king sacrificed oxen and offered innumerable sheep.

Enki and Ninmaḫ: c.1.1.2
In those days, in the days when heaven and earth were created; in those nights, in the nights when heaven and earth were created; in those years, in the years when the fates were determined; when the Anuna gods were born; when the goddesses were taken in marriage; when the goddesses were distributed in heaven and earth; when the goddesses …… became pregnant and gave birth; when the gods were obliged (?) …… their food …… dining halls; the senior gods oversaw the work, while the minor gods were bearing the toil. The gods were digging the canals and piling up the silt in Ḫarali. The gods, crushing the clay, began complaining about this life.

Inana and Ebiḫ: c.1.3.2
“It has poured fearsome terror on the abodes of the gods. It has spread fear among the holy dwellings of the Anuna deities. Its fearsomeness is terrible and weighs upon the Land. The mountain range’s radiance is terrible and weighs upon all the lands. Its arrogance extends grandly to the centre of heaven^.“

A balbale (?) to Ninĝišzida (Ninĝišzida D): c.4.19.4
Holding …… high, lordly one of holy An, holding …… high on the lofty throne-dais, ……, Lord Ninĝišzida, lord ……! …… the Anuna gods, gods of the earth ……. Ninĝišzida, the Anuna gods, gods of the earth ……. An has given power to you, princely son, ……. An has given power to you, Ninĝišzida, ……. …… the Anuna gods …… (unknown no. of lines missing)

A tigi to Nergal (Nergal C): c.4.15.3
Lord who inspires awe in heaven and on earth, who is resplendent in the Land, engendered for kingship by your father, your awesomeness weighs upon the black-headed. The Anuna, the great gods, cower together before your awesomeness and radiance. Nergal, lord who inspires awe in heaven and on earth, who is resplendent in the Land, engendered for kingship by your father, your awesomeness weighs upon the black-headed. The Anuna, the great gods, cower together before your awesomeness and radiance.

Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Ebeling, J., Flückiger-Hawker, E., Robson, E., Taylor, J., and Zólyomi, G., The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/), Oxford 1998–2006.