![]() Babylonian scribes composed the earliest version of the epic, known to modern scholars as the Old Babylonian (OB) Version. First, a series of stories describing Gilgamesh’s adventures was transcribed in the Sumerian language sometime between about 22 b.c.e. ![]() Like many early epics, these written forms probably grew out of oral compositions, recited by communal storytellers for generations before scribes set them down on clay tablets, in an archaic form of writing known as “cuneiform.” Any view of the world of the epic must take into account that it was not composed by a single author, but evolved over time, in four stages. ![]() Generally held to be the earliest recorded epic poem in the world, The Epic of Gilgamesh is based on stories that first appeared around 4,000 years ago in the Near East, where tales of Gilgamesh were written down in various editions by generations of Mesopotamian scribes. ![]() composed in stages between 17 b.c.e., translated into English in two volumes (1884, 1891).Ī king and his companion brave many dangers together after his companion dies, the king seeks the secret of everlasting life from a man who became immortal.Įvents in History at the Time the Epic Takes PlaceĮvents in History at the Time the Epic Was Written An epic poem, set in the city of Uruk (the biblical Erech), around 2700 b.c.e. ![]()
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