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Friday
Nov212014

The Epic of Gilgamesh

DateFriday, November 21, 2014 at 9:00AM

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Clay Tablet - 18th century BC (click photo for larger image)The original text of The Epic of Gilgamesh (a legendary ruler of Uruk, and his search for immortality) is the world’s first truly great work of literature. It was written in cuneiform on clay tablets. The first surviving version of the combined epic, known as the "Old Babylonian", dates to the 18th century BC, but there are many versions of it. Apart from being a literary masterpiece—it’s an extraordinary piece of visual art. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five Sumerian poems about 'Bilgamesh' (Sumerian for 'Gilgamesh'), king of Uruk. These independent stories were used as source material for a combined epic. The “Old Babylonian” is titled after its incipit, “Shūtur eli sharrī” ("Surpassing All Other Kings"). 

AuthorJill | CommentPost a Comment |

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