lugalzaggisi

Updated: May 3, 2025

While it corroborates the view that Lugalzaggisi is to be set in the pre-Sargonic period, it proves that he lived and reigned very shortly before him. As we have already seen, he was the contemporary of Urukagina, who belongs to the middle period of the history of Shirpurla. Lugalzaggisi's capture and sack of the city of Shirpurla was only one of a number of conquests which he achieved.

H. R. (Harry Reginald) Hall - History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery

But whichever of these views might be adopted, it was clear that Lugalzaggisi was a great conqueror, and had achieved the right to assume the high-sounding title of lugal halama, "king of the world." In these circumstances it was of the first importance for the study of primitive Chaldæan history and chronology to ascertain approximately the period at which Lugalzaggisi reigned.

H. R. (Harry Reginald) Hall - History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery

From these records we learned for the first time, not only the name of Lugalzaggisi, but the fact that he founded a powerful coalition of cities in Babylonia at what was obviously a very early period in the history of the country.

H. R. (Harry Reginald) Hall - History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery

Now when first the text of this inscription was published there existed only vague indications of the date to be assigned to Lugalzaggisi and the kingdom that he founded. It was clear from the titles which he bore, that, though Gishkhu was his native place, he had extended his authority far beyond that city and had chosen Erech as his capital.

H. R. (Harry Reginald) Hall - History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery

Now the name of Lugalzaggisi has been found upon a number of fragments of vases made of white calcite stalagmite which were discovered by Mr. Haynes during his excavations at Nippur.

H. R. (Harry Reginald) Hall - History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery

The capture of Shirpurla must have been one of his earliest achievements, for its proximity to Gish-khu rendered its reduction a necessary prelude to any more extensive plan of conquest. But the kingdom which Lugalzaggisi founded cannot have endured long.

H. R. (Harry Reginald) Hall - History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery

Lugalzaggisi of Erech enumerates an extensive pantheon, which contains most of the chief deities, and from which we may conclude that the temple of Nanâ was similarly the center of a large precinct in which the cult of other deities was carried on.

Morris Jastrow - The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria

Lugalzaggisi then goes on to describe the extent of his dominion, and he says: "When the god Enlil, the lord of the countries, bestowed upon Lugalzaggisi the kingdom of the world, and granted unto him success in the sight of the world, when he filled the lands with his power, and conquered them from the rising of the sun unto the setting of the same, at that time he made straight his path from the Lower Sea of the Tigris and Euphrates unto the Upper Sea, and he granted him dominion over all from the rising of the sun unto the setting of the same, so that he caused the lands to dwell in peace."

H. R. (Harry Reginald) Hall - History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery