Epic of Gilgamesh From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Part of a series on Ancient Mesopotamian religion Chaos Monster and Sun God Ancient Mesopotamian religion Primordial beings[show] Seven gods who decree[show] Other major gods[show] Demigods and heroes[hide] Adapa Enkidu Enmerkar Gilgamesh Lugalbanda Shamhat Siduri Atra-Hasis Spirits and monsters[show] Tales from Babylon[show] Other traditions Arabian Levantine Near Eastern religions v t e Royal Epics of Uruk a series in Sumerian Literature Enmerkar of Uruk[hide] Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta Enmerkar and En-suhgir-ana Lugalbanda of Uruk[hide] Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave Lugalbanda and the Anzud Bird Dumuzid and Gilgamesh of Uruk[hide] Dumuzid of Uruk tablets Epic of Gilgamesh tablets v t e The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia. Dating from the Third Dynasty of Ur (circa 2100 BC), it is often regarded as the first great work of literature. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five Sumerian poems about Bilgamesh (Sumerian for Gilgamesh), king of Uruk. These independent stories were later used as source material for a combined epic. The first surviving version of this combined epic, known as the Old Babylonian version, dates to the 18th century BC and is titled after its incipit, Shūtur eli sharrī (Surpassing All Other Kings). Only a few tablets of it have survived. The later Standard version dates from the 13th to the 10th centuries BC and bears the incipit Sha naqba īmuru (He who Saw the Deep, in modern terms: He who Sees the Unknown). Approximately two thirds of this longer, twelve-tablet version have been recovered. Some of the best copies were discovered in the library ruins of the 7th-century BC Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. The first half of the story discusses Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods to stop him oppressing the people of Uruk. After an initial fight, Gilgamesh and Enkidu become close friends. Together, they journey to the Cedar Mountain and defeat Humbaba, its monstrous guardian. Later they kill the Bull of Heaven, which the goddess Ishtar sends to punish Gilgamesh for spurning her advances. As a punishment for these actions, the gods sentence Enkidu to death. In the second half of the epic, Gilgameshs distress at Enkidus death causes him to undertake a long and perilous journey to discover the secret of eternal life. He eventually learns that Life, which you look for, you will never find. For when the gods created man, they let death be his share, and life withheld in their own hands.[1][2] However, because of his great building projects, his account of Siduris advice, and what the immortal man Utnapishtim told him about the Great Flood, Gilgameshs fame survived his death. His story has been translated into many languages, and in recent years has featured in works of popular fiction........or Fact?
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 21:54:19 +0000
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