Images of Gilgamesh

Ancient History

Fall 2008

Where do the images come from?

• Statues, statuettes, terracotta relief sculptures, cylinder seal impressions, limestone tablets, clay plaques, engravings, pottery . . .

Gilgamesh

Enkidu

Humbaba (aka Huwawa)

Ishtar (aka Inanna)

Bull of Heaven

Scorpion People

Shamash

Other images from Mesopotamia

Sources

• The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999).

• Cuneiform tablet. Line drawing by Andrew George of tablet A 122+123 (seventh century BC), Archaeological Museum, Istanbul. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999). p. xxix.

• Shamash the Sun God. Line drawing by Joanna Richards of a limestone tablet from the ninth century BC. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 26.

• Enkidu profile. Line drawing by Joanna Richards from clay plaque (early second millennium BC), Musée du Louvre. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 103.

Sources, cont.

• Bull of Heaven (1). Line drawing by Joanna Richards from Babylonian cylinder seal impression (early first millennium BC), British Museum. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 53.

• Bull of Heaven (2). Line drawing by Joanna Richards from Babylonian clay plaque (early second millennium BC), Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999). p. 175.

• Scorpion men. Line drawing by Joanna Richards from Assyrian cylinder seal impression (early first millennium BC). The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 72.

Sources, cont.

• Ishtar. Line drawing by Joanna Richards from Assyrian cylinder seal impression (early first millennium BC), British Museum. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 60.

• Humbaba/Huwawa (with right fist raised). Line drawing by Joanna Richards from Babylonian clay plaque (early second millennium BC), Musée du Louvre. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 110.

• Gilgamesh and Enkidu slay Humbaba. Line drawing by Joanna Richards (after E. Strommenger-Nagel) from Babylonian engraving on a bronze situla* (early first millennium BC). The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 45. *"Situla is from Latin ‘bucket’; referring to an ancient decorated metal or pottery vessel shaped like a deep bucket, urn, or vase." http://www.winshop.com.au/annew/Situla.html

Sources, cont.

• Humbaba (head shot). Photo of clay head of Huwawa (c. 18th-17th century BC), British Museum. The Babylonians by H.W.F. Saggs (London: Folio Society, 1999), between pp. 156 and 157.

• Epics of Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East by Michael Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and Mankind series. London: Duncan Baird, 1998.

• Inana (with wings, lions, owls). Terracotta relief sculpture (c. 2000-1700 BC). Epics of Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East by Michael Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and Mankind series. London: Duncan Baird, 1998, p. 20.

Sources, cont.

• Gilgamesh (raising lion above his head). Assyrian cylinder seal impression (c. 1350-1000 BC). Epics of Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East by Michael Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and Mankind series. London: Duncan Baird, 1998, p. 75.

• Huwawa. Terracotta image c. 2000 BC. Epics of Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East by Michael Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and Mankind series. London: Duncan Baird, 1998, p. 80.

• Goddess of love. Third century BC statuette. Epics of Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East by Michael Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and Mankind series. London: Duncan Baird, 1998, p. 85.

Sources, cont.

• Art of the First Cities. Edited by Joan Aruz with Ronald Wallenfels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

• Scorpion man detail from inlaid panel from front of a lyre, c. 2550-2400 BC. Royal Tombs of Ur excavation. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Photo in Art of the First Cities. Edited by Joan Aruz with Ronald Wallenfels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003, p. 107.

• Bull's head on front of "Great Lyre," c. 2550-2400 BC. Royal Tombs of Ur excavation. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Photo in Art of the First Cities. Edited by Joan Aruz with Ronald Wallenfels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003, p. 106.