The Epic of Gilgamesh was composed as far back as the 3rd millennium BCE, making it by far the oldest known work of literature. Some of its concerns might feel like they come from an alien and ancient world; some aspects, meanwhile, feel startlingly contemporary or even timeless. In this class, we will work through the Epic of Gilgamesh together, thinking about what accounts for its enduring power and tracing some of its influences on other ancient works (especially the Hebrew Bible). Some important questions might be: the beginnings of civilization; the boundary between humans and animals; the problem of mortality; the meaning of friendship.
No historical knowledge of ancient Akkadian, Sumerian, or Babylonian culture is expected or required. I will provide some important bits of historical context and thematic framing, but the class will largely be run as a discussion seminar, drawing on our observations of the text! If you want to take part in this class, please do your best to read the entire text prior to the first class. We will be using the N. K. Sandars translation, available in paperback from Penguin Classics or online here. (Note: do not read the Andrew George translation! They're both from Penguin so don't get confused!)