The twelve tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh from the Library ofAshurbanipal (600s BC), held in the B

The twelve tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh from the Library ofAshurbanipal (600s BC), held in the British Museum.Discovery and translation of the ancient Mesopotamian cuneiformtablets began in the mid-1800s AD, and literally transformed ourunderstanding of history.  Up until now, the Bible had beenconsidered the oldest book in the world, completely original, and aliteral record of historical events.  The decipherment andtranslation of cuneiform upended these beliefs.The 11th tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh describesGilgamesh’s meeting with Utnapishtim, an earlier version of theBiblical Noah.  In this version, the gods found humanity to be noisyand annoying, so they decided to destroy them.  But Utnapishtim wasforewarned by Enki (god of wisdom and water) about this.  He built aboat, and loaded it with his family, domesticated and wild animals,and skilled craftsmen of every kind.  The flood was six days long,and destroyed all of humanity except for those on the boat.The Flood Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh is perhaps the most famouscuneiform tablet of all.  However, it is not the earliest record ofthis story – other versions from at least 1000 years ago have alsobeen found.Mesopotamian myths about the creation of the world, the Garden ofEden and the Fall of Man predate the later Hebrew ones.  The creationand Garden of Eden are derived from the Eluma Elish.  In the Fall ofMan, the weaver (or gardener) Tagtug is warned not to eat the fruitof the forbidden tree in the garden.  When he disobeys and eats thefruit, Enki curses him for it.The Book of Job is probably a literary piece that belonging to anearlier Mesopotamian tradition.  This was realized after thediscovery of the Ludlul bēl nēmeqi (Poem of the RighteousSufferer), which tells a similar story.In the New Testament gospels, Jesus is a dying and reviving god whogoes down to the underworld (hell) and then returns (theresurrection).  This is now understood as an ancient paradigm firstexpressed in the poem The Descent of Inanna.The Song of Solomon was once believed to be the oldest love poem inthe world.  Now the Love Song of Shu-Sin (written c. 2037 – 2029BC) has taken its place.Mesopotamian literature informed many of the written works that cameafter it.  Mesopotamian motifs can be detected not only in Biblicalnarratives, but also in Egyptian, Greek and Roman stories. -- source link

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