“There is evidence that scribes in the library of Ashurbanipal regarded some very ancient texts as difficult to understand. In several colophons and royal inscriptions, Ashurbanipal boasted that he had studied obscure writings, including texts "from before the Flood" or from the distant past. These statements suggest that by the 7th century BCE, some ancient Sumerian traditions were already archaic and challenging to interpret.” ChatGPT June 2026
“The pre-Flood section of the Sumerian King List contains reign lengths that are far beyond anything considered historically possible.
For example, the first king, Alulim, is said to have reigned for 28,800 years, while other antediluvian kings are assigned reigns ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of years. In some versions of the list, the eight kings before the Flood rule for a combined total of 241,200 years.
After the Flood, the reign lengths drop dramatically. Early post-Flood kings may still be credited with hundreds or even over a thousand years, but the numbers steadily decrease until they become more comparable to realistic human lifespans and reigns.” ChatGPT June 2026
“While there is no direct evidence that misunderstanding produced the huge reign lengths, the fact that ancient scholars themselves regarded antediluvian texts as exceptionally ancient and challenging does fit with the broader distinction the King List makes between pre- and post-Flood history.” ChatGPT June 2026
https://chatgpt.com/share/6a37d3f4-26cc-83ed-9c04-08a40d1998d5
