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Genesis, Part 1: Covenant Relationship Initiated

  1. Lesson One
    Creation of the World (Gen 1-2)
    23 Activities
  2. Lesson Two
    Royal Image Bearers (Gen 1-2)
    16 Activities
  3. Lesson Three
    Rebellion and Consequences (Gen 3-5)
    14 Activities
  4. Lesson Four
    Flood and New Creation (Gen 6-9)
    14 Activities
  5. Lesson Five
    Babel and the Scattering of Nations (Gen 10-11)
    13 Activities
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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Content

The Sumerian King List (SKL) identifies rulers from ancient Sumer in terms of their geographical setting and the lengths of their reigns. This list reflects the common mythology that kingship “descended from heaven.” It shares with the Bible a reference to the flood, with rulers before the flood reigning much longer than those after. Some in SKL are said to have ruled for as long as 36,000 years!

Cuneiform

The Sumerian King List is written in the ancient Sumerian script of cuneiform. This name refers to the wedge shape marking in clay that give each word its distinctive look. Cuneiform developed in Mesopotamia around 3400 BC and became widely used for centuries. A different pictographic script called hieroglyphics was developed in Egypt around 3200 BC. It too endured for centuries. These two writing systems are evidence of the complex civilizations at both ends of the Fertile Crescent.

The Flood

The flood described in the Sumerian King List destroyed the kingship that had descended from heaven. We read that kingship was once again granted to earth and the seat of the new royal line was Kish. This tablet illustrates that a catastrophic flood separating history into pre-flood and post-flood periods was part of a widespread understanding of the past, recorded in various genres.