Taste of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered a world classic. Some would designate it the first novel written and others an example of how basic human concerns haven’t changed for thousands of years. The ancient scribes and story-tellers, I suspect, anticipated none of this for their tale. It was a religious story, perhaps taken as literally as some now take the Bible. However you understand it, the Epic is part of the foundation of civilization itself. I have to admit my Akkadian is rusty—I never had the opportunity to teach anywhere that I could regularly exercise it. Still, I’m pretty certain ...