The Epic of Gilgamesh

This poem is perhaps the oldest "book" known so far. It is supposed to have been first conceived by the end of the Third Millenium B.C. It tells, in a direct and somewhat naive way, the adventures of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, in Mesopotamia. In the beginning we are told of how Gilgamesh got to be king, and how he felt lonely, since he lacked a friend worthy of him. The gods listen to him, and tell him to send a whore to seduce Enkidu, a savage man who lives with the beasts and behaves as such. He is the "good savage", totally in a natural state and without a civilizatory stain. It is chilling to think of this particular story as an ancient memory of our life in pre-civilization times. The prostitute manages to seduce him (any resemblance to Adam and Eve is granted), and then the beasts reject him. He has become fully human. This passage is a wonderful metaphore of the civilizatory process which we humans experienced in immemorial ages. Enkidu has to learn to drink milk from a jar and not directly from the breasts of animals. He has to learn to wear clothes, drink wine and sleep on a bed. Enkidu fights Gilgamesh, showing him his strength and courage, which makes him the inseparable friend. After that, Gilgamesh feels the urgency to leave his legacy in this world before his inevitable death, another humanizing feature, since the individual already shows a full conscience of his mortality and of himself, and thinks of the future. So, both friends depart for the Woods, presumably current Lebanon (the Cedar Forest), where Ancient Mesopotamians got their timber, so scarce in their country. To conquer the Woods, they must kill the giant Humbaba, guardian of the forest, incarnation of Evil and presumably the first reference to the Devil in literature. In doing so they infuriate all the gods except one, and one of them must die. This is how Enkidu gets sick and dies after an excruciating agony. This fact turns out to be devastating for Gilgamesh, because it confirms the inevitability of his own demise. Ravaged by his friend's death, Gilgamesh sets out on a journey to try and find a way to escape from mortality. He travels to the East, beyond the mountains, to the Country of Sun, to try to cross the Sea and reach the land of Dilmun (kind of a preserved Garden of Eden), where Utnapishtim lives, the only human to have survived the Flood (it raises your hair to see a reference to this cataclism, centuries before the Bible), and consequently granted immortality by the gods. Gilgamesh reaches the "garden by the sea" where a young female vineyard tender lives. She tells him frankly that he will never find what he's looking for, since Death is unavoidable. It is humans' Fate, but to humans it has also been granted the possibility of happiness, and so the girl advises him to "fill your belly with good things... have fun and rejoice. Wear clean clothes, bathe in fresh water, caress yout little cildren and embrace and make your woman happy", for that is also the Fate of Man. Gilgamesh can't give up and convinces the oarsman to take him to Dilmun. Utnapishtim, puzzled, receives him and tells him he'll live forever if he stays awake six days and seven nights. Of course he can't make it, and when he wakes up Utnapishtim tells him the story of the Flood, suprisingly and suspiciously similar to that told later in the hebrew Genesis (let's not forget the long years of Hebrew exile in Babilonia). Gilgamesh makes a final effort, ripping from the bottom of the sea the "plant that gives you your youth back" but later, while bathing in a well, a snake steals the plant, changes skin and leaves. Unconsoled, Gilgamesh returns to Uruk and dies. It is difficult to exaggerate the historical and literary importance of this work, since in its brief span it collects all that makes us human: civilization, glory, the conscience of Death. It also gathers primeval memories, the process of going out of the African plains and building cities, the search for supplies and the fear of the beasts of the forests. The tale of the Flood confirms for us the memory of cosmic catastrophes which since the remote past left an indelible mark upon us. Indispensable reading.

First, a word of warning: if you want a scholarly edition, look elsewhere. There is no complete extant version of the epic of Gilgamesh, and the cuneiform tablets that reached us are more or less damaged, so there are many gaps in the story. What the great N. K. Sandars did was to compile a full narrative based on tablets from different times and places. Each of these, if complete, would probably reveal a story very different in detail from the one we have here. In short, this is a patchwork. But what a patchwork! In addition to the sheer literary joy of reading beautiful and elegant English prose, this version rings true. My first serious introduction to the legend (or myth, or tale, whatever you prefer) of Gilgamesh was the outstanding course "Between the Rivers - A History of Ancient Mesopotamia", by Professor Alexis Castor (The Teaching Company). From all I learned there and elsewhere about this masterpiece of ancient literature, Professor Sandars's version seems to be absolutely faithful to the message of the Mesopotamian sage(s) who first put the story down on... tablet. In short, by all means look for a more scholarly version, perhaps in poetry (as the original), if you can get over all those indications of "[text missing]". But do not pass this one up. It is a version to be read and reread, to be enjoyed, and to be pondered. There is wisdom and there is beauty and there is truth. What could be more faithful than that?

I've been meaning to read this for some time, I mean, Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic so old, it was ancient to the people who wrote it down in cuneiform, as ancient to them, as they themselves are to us now! I looked through several editions before I settled upon this one. I very much liked it, and I enjoyed reading such an old, but still colourful and entertaining story! However, there is a caveat you should be aware of : a very small slice of this already slim book is the actual Epic of Gilgamesh, the rest is a forward, afterward, and other such academic supplement and commentary. There is also a glossary of terms for the deities, entities, characters, and concepts that don't have modern translation, which I very much appreciate! I just wanted to make sure any potential buyer knows what they are purchasing.

"The Epic of Gilgamesh" is one of the oldest and most profound stories ever written, and in many ways, it explains the origins of humanity, morality, and the search for immortality better than the Bible. This ancient masterpiece delves into themes of friendship, power, loss, and the meaning of life with a depth that still resonates today. If you want to understand the roots of many biblical and mythological narratives, this is an absolute must-read. A timeless classic that challenges perspectives and enriches the soul!

Informative and interesting facts found in the book

Good quality for price!

A strange tale for the adult interests yet mythical with its perspectives of it's truths

This book is thought to be the oldest book ever written. It’s an epic and, as you can expect, it centers around patriarchy, brutality, and a search for being immortal. Since Gilgamesh doesn’t end up achieving the latter goal, the lesson of the book centers on man’s need to focus on each day as opposed to yearning for the impossible. I liked that message, though it would have been nice if the women in the story could have been something other than prostitutes or goddesses. Personally speaking, I’m a middle-of-the-road gal, myself. 😉 But, as they say, it was a different time. Like 4500 years ago or thereabouts… Even so, it was an interesting read and I'm glad I read it.

Great read for anyone wanting to study this amazing account that includes the biblical flood story from an alternative and more ancient source.

Well presented book. The introduction by the author provides a comprehensive background on the story, history, myth and players. I feel I know the back story before I even started the poem.

For those interested on mythology in the middle east . Very easy to read , sometime sound like a children book.

This version translated by NK Sandars is okay but I would prefer the Andrew George translation because that book has lots of attractive illustrations as well which this book lacks.

I liked gilgamesh dying, enkidnu dying, the flood. I disliked them killing the bull of heaven I also disliked them chopping down the cedar trees