New lines of Epic of Gilgamesh found

[gurey25]

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/93077 ... gamesh.htm

The Epic of Gilgamesh recounts the story of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, Babylonia's ancient city. Gilgamesh is joined is his journey by Enkidu, a wild man initially created by the gods to kill Gilgamesh and stop the king from terrorizing his own people.

The two men became friends after an initial fight and journeyed to far lands together defeating monsters along the way.

The story is considered literature's first great accomplishment. Its chapters were etched in ancient tablets and the story was pieced together from the fragments recovered over the years. The story traces its roots to the 18th century B.C. Followers of the epic are familiar with the 1853 version discovered in Nineveh, the ancient Mesopotamian City which is now modern-day Iraq.

During the U.S.-led war in Iraq, ancient sites and museums were sacked. The initiative to 'intercept' the black market trade of archeological artifacts was started by the Sulaymaniyah Museum. Smugglers were paid to 'intercept' these treasures during their journey abroad. The scheme worked.


In 2011, the Sulaymaniyah Museum was able to acquire a collection of tablets from a smuggler. Some of the tablets were intact but covered with mud while the others were broken in fragments. The excavation site remains unknown but experts believed they were retrieved somewhere in Iraq (Mesopotamia) and Babel (Babylon).

Professor Farouk Al-Rawi from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, England examined the collection of tablets being sold by the smuggler. The assyriologist even found fake tablets. The smuggler said there was a tablet for the Epic of Gilgamesh in the collection and asked for a large sum of money. Al-Rawi examined the three-piece fragmented tablet and advised Sulaymaniayh Museum Director Hashim Hama Abdullah to buy it.


Reading and translating the cuneiform texts on the tablet took five days in November 2012. Experts believe the text was engraved by a writer in the neo-Babylonian era (626-539 BCE). Twenty new lines were discovered and added to the Epic of Gilgamesh. The lines described Gilgamesh and Enkidu's adventure into the 'Cedar Forest' where they killed a forest demigod called Humbaba.

"Gilgamesh and Enkidu cut down the cedar to take home to Babylonia, and the new text carries a line that seems to express Enkidu's recognition that reducing the forest to a wasteland is a bad thing to have done, and will upset the gods," said Andrew George, the associate dean fo the School of Oriental and African Studies who assisted in translating the cuneiform texts.

The new Epic of Gilgamesh tablet was given the code T.1447 tablet and now resides at the Sulaymaniyah Museum in Iraq.

Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson

[PrinceNugaalHawd]

Good work

[gurey25]

I see this is ancient fan fiction..
:LOL:

[LiquidHYDROGEN]

Interesting. I have a copy of the Epic. One of my favourite tales along with Homer's Odyssey. Very important in the human understanding of mortality and coming to terms with it.

[Lancer]

I recently read the Iliad and Odyssey in my college class and it is amazing how these stories written so long ago can have themes and lessons that are applicable to humans today. I will take a look at this Epic of Gilgamesh to see how it compares to Greek epics.

[Itrah]

I recently read the Iliad and Odyssey in my college class and it is amazing how these stories written so long ago can have themes and lessons that are applicable to humans today. I will take a look at this Epic of Gilgamesh to see how it compares to Greek epics.

Oh boy, these type of classes are useless. Read that in your free time, don't take classes in it.

[Lancer]

I recently read the Iliad and Odyssey in my college class and it is amazing how these stories written so long ago can have themes and lessons that are applicable to humans today. I will take a look at this Epic of Gilgamesh to see how it compares to Greek epics.

Oh boy, these type of classes are useless. Read that in your free time, don't take classes in it.

I'm taking this class because I have no choice. It's counted towards my General requirements for my degree. American universities require ever college student to take certain amount of Humanities courses even if they are pursuing science,engineering or other degrees.

[Alpharabius]

The epic of Gilgamesh contains true stories mixed with polytheism and myths , given the similarities it has with the Old testament i think it may have been a Book of Allah that was later corrupted by Babylonian paganism , or maybe it was an actual historical account ? allahu a'lam.

Take the story of Nuux (a.s) told in the bible and the story of Utnappishtim in EOG they are almost identical.

Question: "What similarities are there between the Gilgamesh flood account and the biblical flood account?"


Answer: There are many similarities between the Gilgamesh flood account and the biblical flood account (Genesis 6—8), beginning most importantly with God choosing a righteous man to build an ark because of an impending great flood. In both accounts, samples from all species of animals were to be on the ark, and birds were used after the rains to determine if flood waters had subsided anywhere to reveal dry land. There are other similarities between the Gilgamesh flood account and the biblical flood account.

One major point of clear agreement is that a global flooding disaster occurred in ancient times. Portions of the Gilgamesh account (Chaldean Flood Tablets) have been found dating back to 2000 BC or earlier. Tablets containing the full story, however, date to approximately 650 BC, or well after the Genesis account (c. 1450—1410 BC). These Chaldean tablets, from the city of Ur (modern-day southern Iraq), describe how the Babylonian God Ea decided to end all life except for the ark dwellers with a great flood. Ea, believed by the Babylonians to be the god who created the earth, selected Ut-Napishtim (or Utnapishtim) to construct a six-story square ark.

During the mid-nineteenth century, this complete “Epic of Gilgamesh” (from 650 BC) was unearthed in some ruins at Nineveh’s great library, and the depth and breadth of similarities and differences became evident. Here is a more extensive listing of the similarities and differences:

• God (or several gods in the Gilgamesh account) decided to destroy humankind because of its wickedness and sinfulness (Genesis 6:5–7).

• A righteous man (Genesis 6:9) was directed to build an ark to save a limited and select group of people and all species of animals (Noah received his orders directly from God, Utnapishtim from a dream).

• Both arks were huge, although their shapes differed. Noah’s was rectangular; Utnapishtim’s was square.

• Both arks had a single door and at least one window.

• A great rain covered the land and mountains with water, although some water emerged from beneath the earth in the biblical account (Genesis 7:11).

• Biblical flooding was 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:12), while the Gilgamesh flood was much shorter (six days and nights).

• Birds were released to find land (a raven and three doves in the biblical account, Genesis 8:6–12; a dove, swallow, and raven in the other).

• After the rains ceased, both arks came to rest on a mountain, Noah’s on Ararat (Genesis 8:4); Utnapishtim’s on Nisir. These mountains are about 300 miles apart.

• Sacrifices were offered after the flood (Genesis 8:20).

• God was (or gods were) pleased by the sacrifices (Genesis 8:21), and Noah and Utnapishtim received blessings. Noah’s blessing was to populate the earth and have dominion over all animals (Genesis 9:1–3); Utnapishtim’s was eternal life.

• God (or the many gods) promised not to destroy humankind again (Genesis 8:21–22).

Perhaps most interesting is how the stories remain consistent over time. Although the complete Epic of Gilgamesh was discovered in the mid-nineteenth century, much earlier segments (before the writing of Genesis) have been discovered and dated. Yet most significant is the greater fidelity of the Hebrew account. This is attributed to the importance of Jewish oral tradition and the possibility that some of the story was recorded by Noah or from his time, which would make the Hebrew account precede the Babylonian version.

Some scholars hypothesize the Hebrews borrowed the Babylonian account, but no conclusive proof has been offered to support this. Based on the many and varied differences and details within these stories, it seems unlikely that the biblical version depended upon an existing Sumerian source. Further, given the Jews’ reputation for passing down information scrupulously from one generation to another and maintaining a consistent reporting of events, Genesis is viewed by many as far more historical than the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is regarded as mythological because of its numerous gods and their interrelationships and intrigues in deciding the fate of humankind.

Certainly, for those who believe the Bible is God’s Word, it is sensible to conclude He chose to preserve the true account in the Bible through the oral traditions of His chosen people. By God’s providence, His people kept this account pure and consistent over the centuries until Moses ultimately recorded it in the Book of Genesis. The Epic of Gilgamesh is believed to contain accounts which have been altered and embellished over the years by people not following the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

There are also other stories in the EOG that bear a striking resemblance to other biblical stories and characters , it's really interesting. It's such a shame though that Archaeologists and Anthropologists show interest and study these "myths" while religious scholars dont seem to care at all

[PrinceNugaalHawd]

Its the same story almost every culture and society in the world have such a story about a flood.

[grandpakhalif]

Who the fock cares about some mushrikeen stories read Quran

[PrinceNugaalHawd]

The prophe said go seek knowledge even to the end of the world, in the 5th century! and you have people in the 21st century who don't want progress, knowledge or anything in the name of Islam.

[Alpharabius]

Who the fock cares about some mushrikeen stories read Quran

Shut the F@ck up ISIS boy ! shouldn't you be busy destroying peoples heritage by blowing up Historical monuments ?.

What the hell are you doing on snet ? Were you so useless to your terrorist buddies on the battlefield that they assigned you to their Cyber jihad Unit ? waa ba yaabe.