Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh
Also See The Code of HAMMURABI
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest recorded stories in the world today.
It is a series of poems preserved on clay tablets and remains one of the best and most
important pieces of epic poetry from human history.
The current version comes to us from Bablyonian and Assyrian interpretations of the
original which goes back to ancient Sumeria. It tells the story of an ancient King of Uruk,
Gilgamesh, who may have actually existed, and whose name is on the Sumerian King List.
The epic tells of the various adventures of a hero-king, including his quest for
immortality after his freind Enkidu dies, and an account of a great flood.
The original was written on 12 clay tablets in cunie form script.
There are many translations of this epic and some controversy regarding the later
tablets but the essence of the story remains fairly constant.