The Epic of Gilgamesh

*Author unknown (multiple authors)*Circa 1900 BCE – 4,000 years ago*Akkadian cuneiform (proto-writing)*Babylonia (Sumerian and Akkadian)*The oldest work of literature in the history of humankind!

The cradle of civilization

• Babylon was one of the first, great civilized nation states in the Indo-European region.

• It developed social system of storing and distributing food.

• It was also the first major civilization to implement taxation.

• The first system of graphic representation of language developed in Babylon.

• These graphics evolved into the first form of writing: cuneiform.

The cradle of civilization

• Babylon was one of the first, great civilized nation states in the Indo-European region.

• It developed social system of storing and distributing food.

• It was also the first major civilization to implement taxation.

• The first system of graphic representation of language developed in Babylon.

• These graphics evolved into the first form of writing: cuneiform.

Cunei = “wedge”Form = “shape”

The cradle of civilization

• Today, the nation of Iraq occupies the center of what was once the heart of Babylon.

• You can visit Babylon’s ancient cities, like “Uruk” where Gilgamesh was king.

The first book-keeping

• Food storage, taxation, complex temple organization made it necessary to …

• Keep track of inventory, rites and rituals, and money!

• Babylonians began using graphic illustrations:• Simple• Uniform• Sketches

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/writing/story

Writing evolves into “cuneiforms”

• Eventually these illustrations became lined, wedge-shaped symbols, called “cuneiforms”

• At first they were randomly ordered

• After time, they were ordered in a line … like a sentence from left to right

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/writing/story

Writing evolves into “cuneiforms”

• The shape of many words evolved over time:

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/writing/story

http://www.virtualmuseumiraq.cnr.it/homeENG.htm

Cuneiform writing

• For thousands of years, the ability to read or write cuneiform disappeared from the face of the Earth.

• Works like Gilgamesh, which were written in cuneiform on clay tablets, were lost or destroyed by invading armies.

• The Epic of Gilgamesh disappeared, and was unknown by humankind from 100 CE to the late 19th century—1,800 years!

• Eventually, scholars discovered cuneiform tablets and began to decipher them. (Assyriologists)

Cuneiform writing

• Cuneiform symbols can be deciphered alphabetically:

Cuneiform writing

• Cuneiform symbols can be deciphered alphabetically.

• But they also have characters for word part sounds, creating whole word sounds:

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/writing/story

The Epic of Gilgamesh

• Written on clay tablets by hundreds of scribes over many centuries.

• No single “manuscript” exists.• Sections—both large and small—are

still missing, yet to be discovered.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Implications. In small groups, discuss:

• Based on what you’ve learned about the following, what questions do you have.

• What are some characteristics of Gilgamesh you expect?

• How would the process of writing cuneiform effect the text itself?

• What does it say about the text that it was written for thousands of years?

• Why is this text important from an historical standpoint?