How Accurate is Berossus' Sumerian King List? | Myths Highlights

The Babylonian priest Berossus included a version of the Sumerian King List in his book of history. How close is it to the original?

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[JakeHunter]

Respect for always teaching historical accuracy Professor.

[humbaba]

I sure love your work. You save me a lot of trouble and help me to look in the right places.
Keep doing what you are doing. I suggest your videos all the time.
Again, thank you very much for your great work.

[zack_]

This channel is one of the few where I genuinely feel bad for not contributing to the Patreon. It seems too good to be true. However, I suppose things like this are possible whenever someone is truly passionate about what they do, regardless of what they get in return. This man is becoming something of a Carl Sagan or Steven Irwin of ancient history, at least in my book. You and your work have my unending appreciation!

[russellmillar]

Randall is not the expert he presents himself as. Not surprising but very disappointing that there are so many who find him credible. Good work Dr. M.!

[_bit_Geek]

Wouldn’t surprise me if it’s really early theories on precession. The luwian studies institute had a video years ago how the Hittites had deity names for time periods and it might have been a regional cultural thing going back much further in history

[Anthny-wmy]

I appreciate the quality programming on this channel, particularly the commitment to presenting only factual information. I am curious if you have any plans to create a video discussing the origins of the tamkārum, House of Egibi, and the practice of money lending.

[carlosaugustodinizgarcia]

Berossus was far from historical reliable but a least his work (preserved in a passage by the same George Syncellus from byzantine times) show that some sumerian legends were still known during helenistic times.

Not only his version of the deluge myth is a lot closer to the sumerian one (even the hero being Xisuthtus=Ziusudra, not Utnapishitim or Atrahahis like Babylonian myths) but also preserved some traditions unknown in cuneiform texts: like what happened after the deluge hero was cast away from humankind.

Only in his text it was revealed that not only Ziusdura and his wife were granted eternal life, but his daughter and the ark's steersman too.

They were not named in the text but I suspect they were Shiduri and Usharnabi, characters who appeared in the end of the Epic of Gilgamesh .

[jfjoubertquebec]

I like this topic. Just 46 seconds in, we already have uncertain names, rounded numbers, he did get the definition of antediluvian right though!
I fear I am becoming lazy though.

[WalkingOverHere]

I really appreciate the breakdown and explanation. But would like if you added his conclusion based on this, so that we have a clearer picture of WHY he is interpreted the dates wrong. Or if this was just a small correction to a peer.

I only know it's the former because I see "After Skool" in the design and I know they usually use unreliable info.

[ZachFury]

I’m not surprised that Carlson used the word “Sumaria” with that unique spelling in his fancy animation…

[makinapacal]

I would like to point out that it is likely that Abydenus did not get his information directly from Berossus. For example in regards to Berossus' astrological and astronomical views apparently the several of the surviving writings that refer to these views, i.e., Vitruvius Pollio, Pliny the Elder and Seneca the Younger got their information from the Philosopher Poseidonios and those writing have not survived. It appear Poseidonios got this info from Berossus' writing directly.

In regard to the historical info. Well it appears that Alexander Polyhistor (c. 65 B.C.E.) and Juba (50 B.C.E. - 20 C.E.) got their info directly from Berossus. Although it appears both highly condensed the info. Their works have not survived. The Jewish historian Josephus (First century C.E.) used Berossus but apparently by using Alexander not Berossus directly.


Three Christian apologists used Berossus by using Alexander's and Juba's work. Tatianus, Theophhilus and Titus Flavius Clemens.

It appears that Juba and Alexander's works were too long and boring so that Abydenus using them further condensed it in another summary. Then a Sextus Julius Africanus wrote a Chronology using Alexander and Juba summarizing it also.
And both these works haven't survived either!!!

The Christian Eusebius wrote a work using Abydenus and Sextus called The Chronicle which is also lost. But, miracle of miracles, we have an Armenian translation of it. And St. Jerome was nice enough to translate Eusebius' tables into latin.

And after all that we get, finally, the Chronology of George Syncellus!!! He probably used Eusebius, Abydenus and Sextus.

We have it seems no surviving writing from someone who directly read Berossus. We have some possible excerpts and bizarrely often summaries of summaries of summaries!!!! Is it any wonder what we have is bluntly a mess.

It appears that Berossus' actual book was little read in antiquity and the actual book vanished fairly early and scholars preferred to rely on excepts and summaries, possibly because the actual book was impossible or very difficult to find.

[ironcladranchandforge]

Just so that I understand this, when the list say's "years", is that actually days? Or, do you take the number on the list divide by 3, 600 and that's the actual years of a Kings reign? For instance, 36, 000 ÷ 3, 600 = 10. So the actual reign in years is 10? Or is this just all myth? Sorry but I'm confused as heck, LOL.

[JorgeStolfi]

What about the theory that the lengths of reigns of those pre-flood kings are given in days, not years? That whoever compiled the list we have, with both pre- and post-flood kings, misinterpreted or mistranslated the earlier list? Or that the meaning of the word at some point changed from "day" to "year"? (Like "calorie", which became 1000x bigger after it became used for food...)

[brettsharpe]

He used that graph to show the significance of 432, your graph could explain the same thing he was trying to set up.

[Mesopotamin]

Can you provide me with the names of sources needed for this video or any sources dealing with the topic about classical view to ancient times compared with archaeology if you have

[JacobBiondo]

I wonder about the potential that these different numbers signify different traditions within Mesopotamia. Oral traditions show much diversity within them and there is potential that these different numbered years reflect different traditions instead of error.

[vicsprojects]

Love your work doc, though I'm Not sure if i missed something here. OK the source was bad, we have the tablets to get the real dates from now, but the major point was the dates were very long. I've heard an argument that these dates are exaggerations to try and prove dynasty and right to rule so I was expecting the video to make some kind of counter to the long date, a counter to the date is slightly wrong but still very large doesn't seem a useful rebuttal. Or was the point that we should divide all the numbers by 365 to get years? Thanks in advance

[johnwade]

Who has a copy of the earlier kings list without the predeluvian kings?

[chilledwalrus]

When I was studying to be an archeologist my life was in ruins!

[IamdeaththedestroyerofWorlds]

I was reading John Keay history of India the starting part is basically delves how crappy ancient Indians are at record keeping which makes Indian history so contentious.

Do you think that what we know about history of India suffers from the lack of written material from let’s say between the period of 7500 BC in Bhirrana to until edicts of Ashoka? Do you think this fuel massive misunderstanding about among the Indian people?

For example Brahmi script is supposed to come from Aramaic but I can’t find anywhere if this debate is settled or not unlike Kharosthi.

Can you make video about it if possible?