The Sumerian term for king, “lugal,” literally meant “big man.”

ngship seemed so obvious and right to the Mesopotamians thatthey believed that it had been invented by the gods, that it hadcome “down from heaven.” Some later scribes made a grand list ofall the kings from the beginning of time to their own era. Theycalled it “When kingship came down from heaven,” which was itsfirst line. To modern scholars it is the Sumerian King List.