Enlil: Mesopotamian Keeper of the Tablets of Destiny

Q: Who was Enlil?

Enlil was the Sumerian sky god, lord of the air, and king of the gods who held the Tablets of Destiny decreeing the fate of gods and humans.

Q: Why is Enlil famous?

Enlil is best known as the King of the Gods who, enraged by humanity, sends the Great Flood to destroy them in the poem Atrahasis. He also features in a number of other popular Mesopotamian myths.

Q: What does Enlil's epithet Nunamnir mean?

Nunamnir is thought to mean "He Who is Respected," though this translation is not universally accepted.

Q: How long was Enlil worshipped?

Enlil was worshipped from at least 2900 BCE to c. 141 BCE.

Joshua J. Mark

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Definition

Enlil (also known as Ellil and Nunamnir) was the Sumerian god of the air in the Mesopotamian pantheon, but he was more powerful than any other elemental deity and eventually was worshiped as King of the Gods. He is featured in a number of important Mesopotamian texts as the greatest of the gods after his father.

More about: Enlil

Timeline

2900 BCE - 2700 BCE
Enlil first mentioned as Sumerian god during the Early Dynastic Period I in Mesopotamia.
c. 2350 BCE - 2154 BCE
Enlil worshipped during the time of the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia.
1792 BCE - 1750 BCE
Enlil assimilated with the Babylonian god Marduk during the reign of King Hammurabi.