Dating back in its earliest known forms to the late second millennium BCE, the Epic of Gilgamesh is widely regarded as one of the earliest great works of literature. The epic originated in ancient Mesopotamia and survives in several versions, the most complete of which is preserved on twelve clay tablets in the Standard Babylonian edition.
The first part of the epic tells the story of Gilgamesh, the powerful king of Uruk, and his relationship with Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods to challenge him. After initially becoming rivals, Gilgamesh and Enkidu become close companions and embark on a series of adventures together. The second half takes a darker turn following Enkidu’s death. Confronted with his own mortality, Gilgamesh undertakes a journey in search of the secret of eternal life.
Included within this second part is the story of Utnapishtim and the Great Flood. Utnapishtim recounts how he was warned by the god Ea to build a great vessel and preserve life from a catastrophic flood. The account bears striking similarities to the later flood narrative in the Book of Genesis, and the two stories are generally understood to share ancient Mesopotamian traditions.
The Epic of Gilgamesh has also found its way into modern popular fiction and has had a profound influence on the study of ancient literature. Its themes and motifs invite comparisons with biblical narratives, including the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the reflections on mortality and the meaning of life found in Ecclesiastes. Some passages also evoke later traditions surrounding great Babylonian kings, although direct connections should be treated cautiously. Its themes of heroic adventure, divine intervention, friendship, mortality, and the limits of human power likewise invite comparison with the epics attributed to the Greek poet Homer.
At its heart, however, the Epic of Gilgamesh is a meditation on one of humanity’s most enduring questions: how can a mortal being confront the inevitability of death and find meaning in a life that cannot last forever?
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