Enmebaragesi (Me-Baragesi, En-Men-Barage-Si, Enmebaragisi, Enmer-bara-gosi, fl. ca. 2500 BC) was a king of Kish, according to the Sumerian king list. The list states that he subdued Elam, reigned 900 years, and was captured single-handedly by Dumuzid "the fisherman" of Kuara, predecessor of Gilgamesh.
He is the earliest ruler on the king list whose name is attested directly from archaeology. Two alabaster vase fragments inscribed with his name were found at Nippur where, according to the Sumerian Tummal Chronicle, he is said to have built the first temple.[1] There are in all at least four surviving fragments bearing little more than the name of 'Mebaragesi, lugal of Kish'[2]
He is also mentioned in a section of the original Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, Bilgamesh and Aga, as the father of the Aga who laid siege to Uruk. The Sumerian king list and the Tummal Chronicle concur with the Epic of Gilgamesh in making him the father of Aga, who was the final king of the 1st dynasty of Kish. Thus the fragments verifying Enmebaragesi's historicity enhance the notion that Gilgamesh is also historical.
The later Sumerian Renaissance (Ur-III) king Shulgi addressed one of his praise poems to Gilgamesh, that credits Gilgamesh with capturing and defeating Enmebaragesi — thus contradicting the king list, where he was already captured by Gilgamesh's predecessor. In another part of the Gilgamesh epic, Gilgamesh offers his "sister" Enmebaragesi to be the wife of the monster Huwawa or Humbaba, causing some debate as to Enmebaragesi's gender, with most scholars taking this reference as a jest.
In the 2009 comedy film Year One, a film parodying historical, biblical and mythical persons, places and events, Enmebaragesi is portrayed as one of the best hunters from the village.[citation needed]
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