The Instructions of Shuruppak

The Instructions of Shuruppak is an ancient Sumerian wisdom text written by an anonymous author and first published in 3000 B.C.

Composed as a sequence of brief maxims, it urges truthful speech, humility, and self-restraint, warning against gossip, dishonesty, rash oaths, and careless dealings. The advice ranges from household matters and property to friendship, work, and conduct in public, showing how everyday choices sustain social order.

The father-to-son voice gives the piece its intimate tone while modeling practical caution and communal responsibility. Short, memorable lines deliver guidance meant for learners and scribes, revealing a culture that prized prudence, fairness, and respect for elders as foundations of a good life.

Beyond its moral counsel, the text offers a vivid window onto early Mesopotamia making it a cornerstone for understanding early Near Eastern thought and the long tradition of didactic literature that followed.

"In those days, in those far remote days, in those nights, in those faraway nights, in those years, in those far remote years, at that time the wise one who knew how to speak in elaborate words lived in the Land; Curuppag, the wise one, who knew how to speak with elaborate words lived in the Land. Curuppag gave instructions to his son..."