Enlil (Sumerian: EN.LÍL — "Lord of the Wind")

Sumerian name: EN.LÍL

Enlil (Sumerian: Enlil, "Lord of the Wind"; Akkadian: Ellil) was the second son of Anu and the supreme commander of the Anunnaki expedition to Earth. In Zecharia Sitchin's narrative, Enlil was the executive authority — the god of order, discipline, and authority who governed the affairs of both gods and humans from his command center at Nippur.

Role in the Anunnaki Hierarchy

Attribute	Detail
Father	Anu (King of Nibiru)
Mother	Antum
Domain	Nippur, Earth Command
Sacred Number	50
Symbols	Horned cap, the scepter
Title	Lord of the Wind, Commander of the Earth Mission

Enlil was Anu's chosen successor for the Earth mission (over his older brother Enki). He was the god who gave and enforced the laws — both for the Anunnaki and for humanity.

Enlil's Character

Sitchin portrays Enlil as a stern, disciplinarian figure:

1. The Commander — Enlil was responsible for the success of the Earth mission and the welfare of the Anunnaki
2. The Flood Decision — It was Enlil who decided to destroy humanity with the Great Flood when they became too numerous and noisy
3. Humanity's Adversary — Enlil often opposed Enki's gifts to humanity, viewing humans as tools to be controlled rather than nurtured
4. The Nuclear Strike — Enlil authorized the nuclear destruction of Sippar and Ur in 2024 BCE to eliminate the spaceport and prevent Marduk from seizing it
5. The Lawgiver — Enlil established the rules of civilization and kingship

"Enlil was the jealous and enforcing god — the one who, in the Bible, became Yahweh when the texts said 'the Lord God' — the god of the Old Testament."

Conflicts with Enki

The rivalry between Enlil and Enki defined Anunnaki politics:

Event	Enki's Position	Enlil's Position
Creation of humans	Supportive: proposed as solution	Reluctant: approved only as necessity
Flood	Opposed: saved humanity via Atra-Hasis	Authorized: wanted to eliminate humans
Civilization gifts	Open: taught writing, law, crafts	Restrictive: wanted to limit human knowledge
Marduk's ambitions	Supported (his son)	Opposed (threat to his authority)

Enlil in the Bible

Sitchin identified Enlil with the biblical Yahweh (the "Lord God") in many Old Testament passages, particularly in the narratives involving:

• The expulsion from the Garden of Eden (Enlil as the guardian of the tree of knowledge)
• The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (punishment)
• The Exodus from Egypt (deliverance of his chosen people)
• The establishment of the covenant

Cuneiform Evidence

The name EN.LÍL (𒂗𒇸, "Lord of the Wind") appears extensively in Sumerian literary, administrative, and lexical texts from the third millennium BCE onward. Enlil was the chief deity of the Sumerian pantheon before Marduk's rise.

• CDLI Corpus: EN.LÍL — Browse tablets mentioning Enlil
• Key tablet: The Song of the Hoe (CDLI P345876) — A Sumerian creation myth in which Enlil is described as separating heaven from earth with the hoe. The tablet dates to the Old Babylonian period.
• The "Song of the Hoe" tablet, which describes Enlil's creative acts. (CDLI P345876)

See Also

• Enki — Enlil's brother and rival
• Anu — Enlil's father
• Ninurta — Enlil's son
• Nannar — Enlil's firstborn son
• Nippur — Enlil's command center
• Flood — The flood Enlil ordered
• Nuclear Destruction — The nuclear strike Enlil authorized
• Bible Genesis — Enlil as the biblical deity

Sources

• Sitchin, Z. (1976). The 12^th Planet.
• Sitchin, Z. (1985). The Wars of Gods and Men.
• Sitchin, Z. (2007). The End of Days.
• Kramer, S. N. (1961). Sumerian Mythology.