E.DIN (Sumerian: E.DIN — "The Garden of Eden")¶

Sumerian name: E.DIN

E.DIN (Sumerian: E.DIN, "the righteous abode of the righteous ones" or "house of the righteous") was the Sumerian term for a fertile plain or valley. Zecharia Sitchin identified E.DIN as the original "Garden of Eden" — not a mythological paradise but the actual geographical location of the Anunnaki's first settlements on Earth.

The Sumerian E.DIN¶

In Sumerian texts, E.DIN refers to: - A region in what is now southern Mesopotamia - A fertile, well-watered plain - A place where the gods established their first cities - The location from which the first humans were created

Sitchin's Interpretation¶

"The biblical Garden of Eden was not in some mythical realm. It was the E.DIN of the Sumerians — the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers where the Anunnaki established their first settlements."

Sitchin localized E.DIN in the region of the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, near the Persian Gulf. This area included the first Sumerian cities: - Eridu — The first Anunnaki settlement - Ur — The city of Nannar - Uruk — The city of Inanna - Nippur — Mission control - Sippar — The spaceport

The Four Rivers¶

In Genesis 2:10-14, four rivers flow out of Eden: 1. Pishon — Sitchin identified with the ancient Karkheh or Karun River 2. Gihon — The Diyala or a canal system 3. Tigris (Hiddekel) — Still present today 4. Euphrates — Still present today

Sitchin argued that these were real geographical features of ancient Mesopotamia, proving that Eden was a real place.

E.DIN as the Anunnaki Base¶

The E.DIN was the Anunnaki's base of operations on Earth:

Settlement	Function
Eridu	First landing site, Enki's domain
Nippur	Command center, Enlil's seat
Sippar	Spaceport
Ur	Nannar's center
Uruk	Inanna's domain

The Garden of Eden¶

In the biblical account, the Garden of Eden was a specific garden within the region of E.DIN — a planted area where the first humans (Adamu and Eve) lived. Sitchin saw this as the Anunnaki's own compound — a restricted area where humans worked as gardeners and laborers.

Cuneiform Evidence¶

The term E.DIN (𒂊𒁶, "The Righteous Abode" / "Plain") appears in Sumerian texts as a designation for a fertile plain or valley. It is considered the source of the biblical concept of Eden.

CDLI Corpus: E.DIN — Browse tablets mentioning E.DIN
Key tablet: The term E.DIN appears in Sumerian geographical and literary texts, including the Enki and the World Order composition (CDLI P346034), where it describes the fertile plain of Mesopotamia. The Sumerian King List and economic texts also use E.DIN to refer to the region of the first cities.
Sumerian literary composition referencing the E.DIN region of Mesopotamia. (CDLI P346034)

Sources¶

Sitchin, Z. (1976). The 12^th Planet. Chapter 9.
Sitchin, Z. (1985). The Wars of Gods and Men.
Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians.