Alulim is listed as the first ruler of Eridu in the Sumerian King List.
The Sumerian King List is a historiographical text that presents kingship as moving between different Mesopotamian cities. In its opening section, it says that kingship descended from heaven and places Alulim at the head of the list as ruler of Eridu. The text assigns him an impossibly long reign of 28,800 years, showing that this opening material belongs to a legendary tradition rather than ordinary historical chronology.
Alulim’s placement is important because Eridu was one of the oldest major settlement sites in southern Mesopotamian tradition. Later Sumerian texts treated the city as an original center of civilization and divine kingship.
The King List mixes mythic, legendary, and historical rulers. Therefore, Alulim is best described as the first king named in the list, not as a securely documented historical monarch. He should also not be confused with Enmebaragesi, one of the earliest Sumerian rulers supported by contemporary inscriptions.