Work / monument · text

Instructions of Shuruppak

c. 2600–2500 BCE · 27th century BCE

The Instructions of Shuruppak is a Sumerian wisdom text in which Shuruppak, a ruler of the city of that name, gives proverbial advice to his son Ziusudra, the flood hero. Its earliest copies, from Abu Salabikh, date to about 2600–2500 BCE, making it one of the oldest surviving works of literature. Its counsel covers farming, property, speech and conduct.

Instructions of Shuruppak
Image: Daderot · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

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SumerianLiterature

Mentioned in 1 state history

Shuruppak

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Instructions of Shuruppak. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/instructions-of-shuruppak
MLA
“Instructions of Shuruppak.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/instructions-of-shuruppak. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Instructions of Shuruppak.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/instructions-of-shuruppak.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Instructions of Shuruppak’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/instructions-of-shuruppak (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻