Skip to content

SHEM (Sumerian: MU / Ε UMU β€” "Name / That Which Ascends")

Sumerian name: MU / Ε UMU

SHEM (Sumerian: mu or shem; Akkadian: Ε‘umu; Hebrew: shem β€” "name") was a term that Zecharia Sitchin reinterpreted as meaning "rocketship," "sky vehicle," or "that which ascends." This interpretation is one of the most distinctive and controversial aspects of Sitchin's work.

The Traditional Meaning

In Hebrew, shem means "name" or "reputation." In Sumerian, mu means "name." Sitchin argued that these words had a secondary, technical meaning β€” a "name" as something that "goes forth" or "ascends" β€” which he connected to rocketships.

Sitchin's Interpretation

"The word SHEM, which in Hebrew means 'name,' originally in Sumerian referred to a 'sky vehicle' β€” a rocketship that could ascend to heaven. When the Bible says that the builders of the Tower of Babel sought to 'make a name for themselves,' they were literally trying to build a rocketship."

Key Biblical Passages

Sitchin reinterpreted several biblical passages where shem appears:

  1. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:4):

    "Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a SHEM..." Traditional: "Let us make a name for ourselves" Sitchin: "Let us build a rocketship"

  2. The Patriarchs calling on the "name" of the Lord β€” They called upon the SHEM (the space vehicle) of the Lord

  3. The Ark of the Covenant β€” Contained the "SHEM" β€” possibly a communication device or guidance system

The Evidence

Sitchin supported his interpretation with:

  • Sumerian cylinder seals depicting rocket-like objects
  • The description of the "MU" as a "shining object that ascends to heaven"
  • The Sumerian "MU" as a term for a celestial body or vehicle
  • The Akkadian Ε‘umu used in astronomical contexts
  • The word shem in the Bible used in contexts suggesting flight or ascent

The SHEM in Action

In Sitchin's reading, the SHEM was: - Used for travel between Earth and Nibiru - Kept in special enclosures (the "House of the SHEM") - Operated from launch pads like Baalbek - Guided by navigation beacons like the Great Pyramid

Cuneiform Evidence

The term MU / Ε UMU (π’ˆ¬, "Name / That Which Ascends") appears in Sumerian and Akkadian texts. Sitchin controversially reinterpreted the term as referring to sky vehicles, though mainstream scholarship translates it as "name."

  • CDLI Corpus: MU β€” Browse tablets containing the Sumerian sign MU
  • Key tablet: The Sumerian sign MU appears in thousands of administrative and literary texts. Sitchin's interpretation focuses on contexts where MU appears in connection with ascension or flight, such as the Tower of Babel narrative (Genesis 11:4) and descriptions of the Etana Epic.

See Also

Sources

  • Sitchin, Z. (1976). The 12th Planet. Chapter 10.
  • Sitchin, Z. (1980). The Stairway to Heaven.
  • Sitchin, Z. (1985). The Wars of Gods and Men.
  • Strong, J. (1890). Strong's Concordance (entry for shem).