Book: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Author: unknown. Translation by Maureen Gallery Kovacs
Country: Ancient Assyria
Format: e-book
Pages: 162
Publication: 2150 BCE (1989 for the translation)

I’ve said that the last book I’ve read — There Are Rivers in the Sky — had sent me down an Ancient History rabbit hole. And it truly did. One of the things I was super curious about was the Epic of Gilgamesh, considered the oldest story ever recorded.

So the day before we went camping, I decided to find a good translation of the book and take it with me as an e-book. As you can expect, there are many translations and books about it, but I settled on the one by Maureen Kovacs, published in 1989, because it was one of the most recent and accessible versions.

The Epic of Gilgamesh was discovered in the ruins of the ancient Library of Nineveh in the 1850s and is believed to have been written in 2150 BCE — more than 4,000 years ago, and even 1,000 years before the Bible. I’ve tried to read ancient texts before, such as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but I gave up because the writing felt too distant. Gilgamesh, on the other hand, hooked me immediately.

The book tells the story of King Gilgamesh. He was a real historical figure who likely ruled the Sumerian city of Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia around 2700 BCE.

In this iconic tale, the gods are unhappy with Gilgamesh’s treatment of his people. To humble him, they create a rival: Enkidu — a wild man who lives among animals. Enkidu confronts Gilgamesh, and they fight. All over the city they tumble, and they’re almost an equal match. In the end, Gilgamesh defeats Enkidu by a small margin, and being so similar, they decide to become friends and embark on many adventures together.

I was surprised by the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. They seem almost like lovers. They embrace in Gilgamesh’s dreams, they kiss, and hold hands. They’re inseparable. And when Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is completely distraught. He doesn’t want to leave his friend’s body and later spends months roaming the wilderness dressed in animal skin — like Enkidu used to.

Of course, there are many interpretations of this story, but it’s undeniable that the bond between these two men is central to the narrative. Many believe that this myth inspired the story of Achilles and Patroclus — Greek heroes portrayed in The Iliad.

But that’s not the only way this epic influenced history. One of Gilgamesh’s quests in the later tablets is to find Utnapishtim, a man who escaped a great flood by building a boat and loading it with animals, after being warned by a god. Sound familiar? The parallel with the biblical flood story is what actually triggered modern interest in excavating the rest of the Epic of Gilgamesh from the ruins of the ancient Library of Nineveh.

Another fascinating aspect is how much we can learn about ancient Sumerian mythology. Gilgamesh is described as a demi-god (two-thirds god and one-third human, to be precise), and he often interacts with the Sumerian pantheon. He is nearly seduced by Ishtar (or Inanna), the goddess of love and fertility, and he constantly tries to please Shamash (or Utu), the sun god and his protector.

This is something I want to dive into next — ancient Mesopotamian mythology. I’ve been watching some YouTube videos on the topic, but let me know if you have any reading recommendations!