The Sumerians were a non-Semitic, non-Indo-European people who lived in southern Babylonia from 4000-3000 B.C.E. They invented cunieform writing, and their spiritual beliefs influenced all successive Near Eastern religions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They produced an extensive body of literature, among the oldest in the world. Samuel Noah Kramer spent most of his life studying this literature, by piecing together clay tablets in far-flung museums. This work gives translations or summaries of the most important Sumerian myths. This book is not a cheap scanned version of the original but has been completely digitally revised and optimized for Kindle, including an interactive table-of-contents. Contents: PREFACE NOTE TO THE REVISED EDITION INTRODUCTION THE SOURCES: THE SUMERIAN LITERARY TABLETS DATING FROM APPROXIMATELY 2000 B. C. CHAPTER I THE SCOPE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF SUMERIAN MYTHOLOGY CHAPTER II MYTHS OF ORIGINS 1 THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNIVERSE ENLIL AND NINLIL: THE BEGETTING OF NANNA THE JOURNEY OF NANNA TO NIPPUR EMESH AND ENTEN: ENLIL CHOOSES THE FARMER-GOD THE CREATION OF THE PICKAX CATTLE AND GRAIN ENKI AND NINHURSAG: THE AFFAIRS OF THE WATER-GOD ENKI AND SUMER: THE ORGANIZATION OF THE EARTH AND ITS CULTURAL PROCESSES ENKI AND ERIDU: THE JOURNEY OF THE WATER--GOD TO NIPPUR INANNA AND ENKI: THE TRANSFER OF THE ARTS OF CIVILIZATION FROM ERIDU TO ERECH THE CREATION OF MAN CHAPTER III MYTHS OF KUR THE DESTRUCTION OF KUR: THE SLAYING OF THE DRAGON INANNA"S DESCENT TO THE NETHER WORLD CHAPTER IV MISCELLANEOUS MYTHS THE DELUGE THE MARRIAGE OF MARTU INANNA PREFERS THE FARMER