A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

146 

The Mesalim inscriptions (from Adab^23 and ΩGirsu)^24 show the “King

of Ki“” as a sovereign over (partly or occasionally) independent “city-

states,” which became provinces during the Sargonic and Ur III

periods and were ruled by princes called énsi.k^25 “steward” (of the

city-state X), being either an independent prince or a governor. The

political organization of the country ruled by the “king” (lugal) may

therefore not have changed much after the earliest period.

2.1.1.3 Early kingship and stewardship seem to have been heredi-

tary in principle, passing from father to son, to the ruler’s brother,

or to his sons-in-law.

2.1.1.4 According to a third millennium political theory harking

back to the Sargonic period (and continuing into the second mil-

lennium), kingship originated in heaven and migrated from one city

to the next following rules that changed over time. It was given to

a city and taken from it by decision of the divine council, which

also selected the king.^26 The theory was modified at Laga“at the

time of or shortly after the reign of Gudea of Laga“(twenty second

century), by crediting the office of “steward” (énsi.k), with greater

seniority than that of “king.”^27

2.1.1.5 In political titles the term énsi.k is always linked to the ter-

ritory ruled by him (“steward of Laga“”) but as shown by the edicts

of Irikagina (1.1.2 above) it also relates to the deity for whom he

administrates his or her property, that is, the city state.

2.1.1.6 A third title relating to the highest office in a state or city

state is that of “lord” (en) , restricted—with the exception of epic

tales and divine epithets—to the city (state) of Uruk. The word is

homonymous with that for the highest priestly office (en) ; their rela-

tionship, if any, has not yet been satisfactorily explained.^28

(^23) FAOS 5/2 Ki“: Mesalim 2.
(^24) FAOS 5/2 Ki“: Mesalim 1.
(^25) At Adab, the title is énsi.k-
ºg.
(^26) Wilcke, “Gestaltetes Altertum.. .,” 99–116.
(^27) Sollberger, “The Rulers of Laga“.”
(^28) See Edzard, “Problèmes.. .”; “Herrscher,” and Heimpel, “Herrentum.. .,”
with earlier literature.
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