The central character of Gilgamesh was initially reintroduced to the world as " Izdubar", before the cuneiform logographs in his name could be pronounced accurately. Late in the following decade, the British Museum hired George Smith to study these in 1872, Smith read translated fragments before the Society of Biblical Archaeology, and in 18 he published fuller translations, the latter of which was published as The Chaldaean Account of Genesis. Some 15,000 fragments of Assyrian cuneiform tablets were discovered in the Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh by Austen Henry Layard, his assistant Hormuzd Rassam, and W. K. The most recent Akkadian version, also referred to as the Standard Babylonian version, consists of twelve tablets and was edited by Sîn-lēqi-unninni, who is thought to have lived sometime between 1300 BC and 1000 BC. Analysis of the Old Babylonian text has been used to reconstruct possible earlier forms of the epic. Although several revised versions based on new discoveries have been published, the epic remains incomplete. The older Old Babylonian tablets and later Akkadian version are important sources for modern translations, with the earlier texts mainly used to fill in gaps ( lacunae) in the later texts. 1800 BC), are the earliest surviving tablets for a single Epic of Gilgamesh narrative. They date from as early as the Third Dynasty of Ur ( c. The earliest Sumerian poems are now generally considered to be distinct stories, rather than parts of a single epic. 2.1.2 Content of the Standard Babylonian version tabletsĪncient Assyrian statue currently in the Louvre, possibly representing Gilgameshĭistinct sources exist from over a 2000-year timeframe.The epic is regarded as a foundational work in religion and the tradition of heroic sagas, with Gilgamesh forming the prototype for later heroes like Heracles (Hercules), and the epic itself serving as an influence for Homeric epics. It has been translated into many languages and is featured in several works of popular fiction. Nevertheless, because of his great building projects, his account of Siduri's advice, and what the immortal man Utnapishtim told him about the Great Flood, Gilgamesh's fame survived well after his death, with expanding interest in the his story. For when the gods created man, they let death be his share, and life withheld in their own hands". He eventually learns that "Life, which you look for, you will never find. In the second half of the epic, distress over Enkidu's death causes Gilgamesh to undertake a long and perilous journey to discover the secret of eternal life. Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull of Heaven after which the gods decide to sentence Enkidu to death and kill him. The goddess Ishtar sends the Bull of Heaven to punish Gilgamesh for spurning her advances.
Together, they make a six-day journey to the legendary Cedar Forest, where they plan to slay the Guardian, Humbaba the Terrible, and cut down the sacred Cedar. Gilgamesh wins the contest nonetheless, the two become friends. After Enkidu becomes civilized through sexual initiation with Shamhat, he travels to Uruk, where he challenges Gilgamesh to a test of strength. The first half of the story discusses Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods to stop Gilgamesh from oppressing the people of Uruk. Some of the best copies were discovered in the library ruins of the 7th-century BC Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. Approximately two-thirds of this longer, twelve-tablet version have been recovered. The later Standard Babylonian version compiled by Sîn-lēqi-unninni dates from the 13th to the 10th centuries BC and bears the incipit Sha naqba īmuru ("He who Saw the Abyss", in unmetaphoric terms: "He who Sees the Unknown"). The first surviving version of this combined epic, known as the "Old Babylonian" version, dates back to the 18th century BC and is titled after its incipit, Shūtur eli sharrī ("Surpassing All Other Kings").
These independent stories were later used as source material for a combined epic in Akkadian. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five Sumerian poems about Bilgamesh (Sumerian for "Gilgamesh"), king of Uruk, dating from the Third Dynasty of Ur ( c.
The Epic of Gilgamesh ( / ˈ ɡ ɪ l ɡ ə m ɛ ʃ/) is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia, regarded as the earliest surviving notable literature and the second oldest religious text, after the Pyramid Texts.
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