Instructions of Shuruppak

The Instructions of Shuruppak is the oldest surviving wisdom text in the world, framed as the advice of Shuruppak — a wise king identified in the Sumerian King List as the father of the flood hero Ziusudra — to his son. The text consists of several hundred proverbs and maxims covering practical ethics, social conduct, and correct behaviour. Shuruppak advises his son not to buy an ass that brays too much, not to build a house near a powerful man's house, and not to trust a stranger. He counsels restraint in speech — a man who speaks too freely will come to grief — and warns that flattery leads to treachery. Many proverbs concern family relations: do not speak harshly to your mother; honour your wife. Others address legal matters: do not act as a witness to false testimony; do not misuse the irrigation ditch belonging to your neighbour. The text warns against sexual impropriety, against stealing, and against provoking quarrels with those more powerful than oneself. Throughout, the tone is pragmatic rather than theological: wisdom is presented as practical knowledge of how the world works and how a man may navigate it safely.