The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh, (2100 BCE), is the world's oldest surviving literary work. It tells the story of a tyrannical king's journey toward wisdom through friendship, loss, and the search for immortality. 

• Environmental thinkers interested in ancient depictions of humanity's relationship with nature
• Those interested in mythology and ancient civilizations 
• Anyone facing major life transitions who might benefit from a journey of arrogance to wisdom

Unlike modern works with clear authorship, the Epic of Gilgamesh emerged from centuries of oral tradition before being written down by anonymous Mesopotamian scribes. The most complete version was found in the ruins of the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh (in modern-day Iraq), dating to around 650 BCE. In 1872, British Museum scholar George Smith made headlines worldwide when he translated the epic's flood story, revealing its similarities to Biblical accounts. Over the following century, archaeologists and linguists pieced together more fragments from sites across the Middle East, gradually reconstructing what we now recognize as humanity's first great literary masterpiece.