The Gilgamesh Epic The OLDEST KNOWN written Text. The standard version was discovered in 1849 by Austen Henry Layard . Translated into English in 1888. This poem is the most popular piece of literature in Mesopotamia, found in many different languages and versions across 2500 years.

Overview of Early City of Uruk This photo shows the ruins of one of the earliest Mesopotamian cities, a rich source of art objects and fine architecture,. The best-known King of Uruk was the legendary Gilgamesh. Hirmer Verlag Munchen

How the Epic of Gilgamesh Endured Stories of King Gilgamesh were told and handed down for hundreds of years after his death. Finally the tales were written down by the 21st century B.C. When the Babylonians conquered the Sumerians, they “inherited” the Sumerian cultural traditions. A Babylonian author created the start of the unified Gilgamesh epic as we know it today.

Modifications to the Epic Other Babylonian writers modified the epic. They added the prologue and the flood story, as well as emphasized the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. These writers also gave the narrative its central theme: the search for immortality. By the 7th century B.C., a written version credited to Sin-liqi-unnini was included in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal.

How Did We Get the Story Today? After the fall of Babylon, the written epic was lost in the rubble. Archaeologist Austin Henry Layard excavated Ashurbanipal’s library in the mid-1800s . Henry Rawlinson discovered and deciphered the poem on clay tablets in cuneiform. George Smith then translated the 11th tablet containing the portion of the epic describing a great flood, an account remarkably similar to the story of Noah and the ark in the Bible.

Reading Together -Comprehension Questions - Active Reading The Prologue Reading Together -Comprehension Questions - Active Reading

Comprehension Questions What is Gilgamesh’s City called? Is Gilgamesh a god or a man? Who are Shamash and Ishtar How would you describe Gilgamesh?

Chapter 1 The Coming of Enkidu

Comprehension Questions What kind of king is Gilgamesh at first? What is he supposed to be like? (Look at what the people say he is not when they pray.) What solution do the gods provide? What kind of creature is Enkidu? How does he become fully human? How does he become civilized? (What does this suggest about human nature and sexuality?) When he has become a full human being, what does Enkidu decide to do? How do Gilgamesh and Enkidu become friends?