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Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was presumably a real person who lived between 2,500 and 2,700 B.C, and the fifth king in the First Dynasty of Uruk (ultra-modern- day Iraq). Fractions of the tale date from the alternate renaissance B.C., and it’s assumed the story was passed down, and retold many times after the death of Gilgamesh. The epic was lost and found in the 19th century, when tablets were discovered as part of the library of Nineveh’s King Ashurbanipal. He reigned in the 7th century B.C. The tablets set up also are believed to be clones of 11 or 12 tablets recorded by the writer Sinleqiunninni around 1,200B.C.
In his youth, Gilgamesh was arrogant, so the gods created Enkidu to fight him. Enkidu was a wild man who lived among animals until he was seduced by a prostitute who lured him to civilization. He then accompanied the shepherds and tended their flocks. Gilgamesh begins to dream of Enkidu's arrival, and his mother interprets this as a friend sent by the gods. Enkidu marches into the city to fight Gilgamesh's evil ways. Enkidu lost the battle but immediately became Gilgamesh's best friend.
Two years later, Enkidu was bored in the city and Gilgamesh came to him with an idea. His plan is to go to the cedar forest and kill the demon Humbaba, who is half demon and half giant. While traveling, Gilgamesh has a nightmare about himself and Enkidu. Some of the dreams include Enkidu lying motionless in his bed and Gilgamesh being held by a giant stone man. Enkidu says it is just a good omen, but Gilgamesh is not convinced.
Soon they came to the great cedar forest where Humbaba lived and went for a walk in the forest. When they arrived at Humbaba, Humbaba attacked them. Gilgamesh and Enkidu made quick work of him, but before Humbaba dies he touches Enkidu and puts a curse on him. At first, nothing happened but when they returned to Uruk, Enkidu became terribly sick and died.
This made Gilgamesh realize that he was not immortal and he was capable of death. Gilgamesh started a new journey to find the Ancient One, the person who possesses immortality. He reached the pass in the mountains where two giant scorpion men were guarding the pass. The scorpion men realized who Gilgamesh was and let him pass. Soon Gilgamesh reached the tunnel through which the sun passes every day. The sun started to pass through the tunnel, Gilgamesh saw the sun and started running, he reached the end of the tunnel and entered heaven.
On a mountain overlooking the Dead River, he saw a boat that would take him across the river. There were two stone figures on one side of the boat. Gilgamesh defeated them quickly.
when he saw an old man bending over and walking towards him with a large crutch. The man introduced himself as Urshanabi the boat man. He blamed Gilgamesh for destroying the stone figures because they were the only creatures that could enter water without decaying. Gilgamesh had to make 1000 wooden oars from trees on the beach of the Dead Sea.
Gilgamesh began to make oars. At sunrise the oars were completed, and soon Gilgamesh and Urshanabi were moving through the water. Soon the boat hit the sand and Gilgamesh found a small hut on a small island. The ancients wait at the door and the ancients challenge Gilgamesh to remain awake for six days and seven nights in exchange for eternal life. After the elders finished speaking, Gilgamesh fell to the ground and fell into a deep sleep. Gilgamesh was destroyed, his chance at immortality ruined, and he begged the Ancient One to give him a second chance.
The ancients told Gilgamesh that there was a tree under the sea that could make him immortal. Gilgamesh tied rocks to his feet and went into the depths of the ocean. When he emerged with the plant he fell asleep. As he was sleeping a snake ate the immortal plant. When Gilgamesh wakes up, he finds the plant gone and realizes his chance at immortality is gone. On his return to Uruk, Gilgamesh realized that he was a bad king and promised his people that he would be a good king. The lesson the citizens of Uruk took from this story is that civilaztion is good and the wilderness is scary. (AG)
The epic
Gilgamesh and Enkidu
The city of Uruk
Sargon the Great
Sargon, known by his people as Sargon the Great, was the king and ruler of Akkad. He was known as Sargon the Great, as well as Sargon the Conqueror. When he was first born, he was born in secret, and sent down the river in a basket. Soon, though, he was found by a gardener to the king of Kish. He then became the cup-bearer to the king. (The one who brings the king his wine.) He wasn’t just a cup-bearer, he was one of the King’s trusted advisors.
Soon, though, Sargon overthrew the king of Kish, and sent troops to the rival of the south, Lugalzagesi. Sargon had won the battle, and sent Akkadian Governors to rule over Sumer. The Akkadian governors destroyed defensive walls, and made Akkadian the official language of all Mesopotamia, though left Sumerian religion in place.
A great trade with India had been keeping a steady supply of materials into Mesopotamia, such as pearls and Ivory, As well as a simple currency using copper and other metals, both being supported by Sargon. Sargon had also used taxes to collect money for supplies for his soldiers, and to support the kingdom inventors and artists.
Sargon ruled for many years, and was known as one of the most powerful and greatest kings of Mesopotamia. He raised a great empire, and was a great king. (RS)
Ancient sculpture of Sargon
Ancient birth legend of Sargon the Great is pictured above.
Another sculpture of Sargon
Hammurabi
Hammurabi was a powerful king in Babylon. Hammurabi B.C. When he ascended to the throne in 1792 bce, he took control of Babylon, Kish, Sippar and Stet, the city of Borsippa, and at at the end of his reign, he took control of all of Mesopotamia. He is best known for creating the code of laws, but most importantly for bringing morality to his city.
Some of Hammurabi's achievements include the Babylonian Code. There is no murder, no violence, no theft in the law as there is today. His famous saying "A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye" shows that if you take from others, you will lose your own. For example, if you cut off an arm, your punishment will be to lose it when arrested, which is a fair trade in Babylon's eyes. Hammurabi also built bridges over the Euphrates River, leading to the construction of more canals, increasing economic power. Assyria conquered Larsa, Eshuna and Marley.
Finally, at the end of his life, B.C. He died of natural causes in 1750bce, at the age of 60. Even if he dies, his law is his eternal life. He protected Samsu-iluna and Babylon for another 14 (JM)
Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar was the king in Babylon from 605-562 BCE. Nebuchadnezzar was the second Neo Babylonian Empire of Babylon. He was born in 634 BCE and died in 562 BCE. The legend says that Nebuchadnezzar died due to mental health issues and started acting like an animal and slowly died. Archaeologists learned about him and his story from the clay tablets left. It told a story about him and his accomplishments. We also learned about him because he is mentioned in the bible. According to the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon only because he attacked Judah.
King Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar restored many old religious monuments and improved many things in Babylon. He is most known for conquering the jews, In battle, building the Ishtar gate, and building the Hanging Gardens. In addition he built the hanging gardens for his wife Amytis that are known as the ‘Seven Ancient Wonders of the World’. He led the babylonian army into war over the jews. They returned home victorious. He didn't want to stop there so he also built the Ishtar gates. The purpose was to attract and welcome people to the city because the gates had bright, bold colors. (AC)
Ashurbanipal
A boy named Ashurbanipal was born in 685 BC. He had three older brothers, one older sister, and several younger brothers. In 669 BC Ashurbanipal, then a prince came into more power, promoted to king following the death of his father, Essarhaddon. Ashurbanipal ruled over a very powerful civilization called the Neo-Assyrian Empire and he even considered himself King of the world because Assyria (Which is now Northern Iraq) was 1000 miles large and stretched from eastern Mediterranean to the mountains of Western Iran.
Ashurbanipal conquered many civilizations and cities. Ashurbanipal ended the war with Egypt and enlarged his already huge empire! His thirst for power made him wage war against many civilizations including the Phoenicians and Uratu. One of the most important captures was of the Kingdom of Elam, which Assyria had battled for many centuries until the “King of the world” finally captured them. Ashurbanipal was very famous for building the Library of Ashurbanipal. The Library of Ashurbanipal was the oldest known systematically organized library in the world! It had over 30,000 pieces of text found but it is believed that the original was much larger! It is interesting that one of the most brutal power thirsty kings ever to exist built a library.
Ashurbanipal’s life was very well documented but his death is still a mystery. Before archaeological discoveries were found in the 1800’s, Ashurbanipal was known from writers as Sardanaplus and was known as the last king of Assyria. A Persian said that Ashurbanipal lit himself on fire in his palace with his concubines, gold, and silver when Nineveh was captured by the Medes and Babylonians. This was very famously reimagined in Delacroix's dramatic Orientalist painting The Death of Sardanapalus. It is also thought that he died of natural causes though.
Ashurbanipal died in 631 BC. For centuries, Assyria was one of the most if not the strongest empire ever. By the end of the 7th century BC though, the mighty Assyrian Empire had been destroyed. When some rebels and other Babylonian kingdoms saw weakness in Assyria, they used that opportunity and waged war against the huge Assyrian Empire. It is thought that the war lasted almost 20 years before Assyria was finally taken down, which would shape the future for the region. (AH)
The Great Library of Ashurbanipal
Ashurbanipal sacrificing the lions he has put down
"Cruelest king of Assyria" (VIDEO)
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