ArtiFact #9: The Epic of Gilgamesh | Alex Sheremet, Joel Parrish

The Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 1200 BCE, Standard Babylonian) is based on Gilgamesh of Uruk, a historical king subject to centuries of cult-worship and mythmaking before his exploits were written down. Although this was not unlike the fate of many ancient rulers, the Epic of Gilgamesh separates itself by its poetic modernity and psychological complexity.

In this video, Joel Parrish and Alex Sheremet discuss Gilgamesh’s failed quest for immortality, the ‘wild man’ Enkidu as Gilgamesh’s foil and savior, proto-feminist characters such as the prostitute Shamhat, as well as structural questions and the power of specific passages before critiquing a Christian reading of Babylonian polytheism and Great Flood myths.

You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Ldg1wfTuenY

Read the latest writing from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com

Joel's website: https://poeticimport.com

Read Alex’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com

Music sample: Lowkemia - "Lorem Ipsum" (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Timestamps:

0:00 – Comparing two translations of the epic (Andrew George vs. David Ferry)
4:58 – History of the Epic of Gilgamesh + competing versions
13:16 – A synopsis of the Epic of Gilgamesh
17:38 – Appending Tablet XII
22:12 – Tablet I: Gilgamesh, Ecclesiastes, and goodness vs. greatness as Nietzschean concepts
35:48 – Tablet I (cont.): The creation of Enkidu
46:30 – Tablet I (cont.): Is Shamhat a proto-feminist icon?
53:48 – Has the Adam and Eve story been misinterpreted?
01:01:15 – Gilgamesh dreams of Enkidu
01:03:45 – Tablet II: Enkidu confronts Gilgamesh in Uruk
01:12:53 – Tablet III: Gilgamesh is given more dimensions
01:16:36 – Tablet IV: What explains Enkidu’s overly sanguine interpretation of dreams?
01:24:46 – Tablet V: is Humbaba merely a stock villain?
01:30:20 – Tablet VI: Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven
01:41:18 – Tablets VII & VIII: the death and funeral of Enkidu
01:51:14 – Tablet IX: Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu
02:00:36 – Joel: these are some of the most modern lines in the epic
02:05:50 – Tablet X: a Christian lecturer on Gilgamesh’s Great Flood
02:18:30 – …but what does Genesis ACTUALLY say of such interpretations?
02:43:18 – Alex: monotheism concentrates polytheistic dualities into one being 
02:48:12 – Tablet XI: Gilgamesh fails to gain immortality
02:54:41 – Tablet XII re-visited