A Journey into Middle Eastern Literature

1. A Journey into Middle Eastern Literature

2. Mesopotamia - “The land between the rivers” • Mesopotamia is the name given by the Greeks to an ancient area of the Middle East now known as modern-day Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria. • This region is also known as the Fertile Crescent, an agriculturally rich land watered by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

3. Map of Ancient Mesopotamia

4. The Sumerians were the first people to dominate this region, settling here sometime between 5000 and 4000 BC.

5. The epic was so widely known that scholars believe it served as an archetype, or model, for hero myths around the world • Greece, India, and Persia would later model characters and adventures after those portrayed in Gilgamesh • The epic reveals a great deal about the ancient Mesopotamians’ sometimes pessimistic (negative) views of existence • But it also shows us the sensitivity and humanity of these ancient peoples, who are not unlike us in their joys, sorrows, and strivings

6. THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH WHAT? • Tale of the superhuman Sumerian king, Gilgamesh • Painful search for everlasting life WHEN? • Written over 4,000 years ago; considered the oldest known piece of literature • Discovered in 1839 by archaeologists WHERE? • Ancient Mesopotamia (“Between two rivers” - Tigris and the Euphrates) - current day Iraq • Versions are found all over the Middle East HOW? • Inscribed in clay, which made the text durable • 12 tablets (1-11: Gilgamesh’s life; 12: Gilgamesh in the nether world) • Many exact copies were made; accuracy was critical

7. THE EPIC OF GILGAMESHBackground Information Gilgamesh • May be a “true” story - a King Gilgamesh is found in the ancient Sumerian records • Two parts god, One part human  Supernatural power, Human weaknesses • Leader of the Sumerian people and builder of a great city • Suffers from excessive PRIDE (what the Greeks would later call “hubris”)

8. THE EPIC OF GILGAMESHBackground Information Ancient Sumerian and Babylonian Beliefs Although Sumerian and Babylonian civilizations were advanced for their time, the people were powerless against ever-present threats of devastating floods, severe droughts, and belligerent neighbors who sought “the good life” in the Tigris and Euphrates valley. The religious beliefs of the Sumerian and Babylonian people were, therefore, pessimistic. They worshipped a pantheon, or family, of unpredictable gods and goddesses who could bring about misfortune as well as favor. Regardless of one’s status or how one lived one’s life, there was no joyful afterlife to which to look forward. Such beliefs are present in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, in spite of his great powers, suffers a life-changing loss when Enkidu dies. When the person closest to him dies, the proud Gilgamesh must come to terms with the reality that he, too, will not live forever. And because, in the Sumerian view, death offers only emptiness, Gilgamesh rebels against it, and sets off on a quest to attain immortality.

9. THE EPIC OF GILGAMESHSIGNIFICANCE Why is Gilgamesh’s story important to us? • CONCEPTS Quest for Knowledge and Truth Friendship Life and Death Birth and Renewal (The Flood) Man V. Fate • LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE EPIC Definition: a long narrative that recounts the deeds of a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of a particular society EPIC HERO Definition: Superior human beings with supernatural strength or spiritual powers; usually mighty leaders of their people; of mixed divine and human birth, so we admire their greatness but sympathize with their failings Gilgamesh is the earliest known epic hero Archetype for future epic heroes, including Homer’s Odysseus

10. THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH Cuneiform Though the tales of Gilgamesh were originally shared through oral communication, the epic was eventually written down using cuneiform. • first form of writing ever developed • consisted of wedge-shaped characters that were created using a reed stylus • characters could represent either words or sounds and were usually carved into clay that was later baked

11. Eygpt • It is in this early civilization that one of the first forms of writing began. It is called hieroglyphics. This type of ancient Egyptian writing was in picture form. Each picture denotes a word or idea rather than just expressing the sound. There are over seven hundred hieroglyphics, and they rarely used vowels, although they were spoken. In English words are often abbreviated by leaving out the vowels as well - bldg = building, ltd = limited and cm = centimeter.

12. One of the major contributions the Egyptians gave to civilization is the invention of paper, made from papyrus reeds. • Papyrus is a plant that grows on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. (Kind of like we know as a broadleaf cattail.) Papyrus, can grow up to 15 feet high. • Egyptians used paper made from papyrus for 4000 years until other plants and trees were used to make paper for economical reasons. Paper made from papyrus is still made, but normally only as a tourist attraction.

13. Myths and Legends • The great goddess of ancient Egypt was Isis, and her husband was Osiris. The hero of this ancient Egyptian myth is a model of love, faithfulness, and above all, persistence. • The Egyptian Gods were the basis for many gods that follow – Horus for example, was born of virgin birth.

14. Hebrew • The most important example of Hebrew literature is the Jewish Bible. (Christians refer to this as the Old Testament). • The word Bible came from the Greek word biblia, meaning a collection of writings. • The Hebrew Bible can be divided into three main sections: the Torah (“law,” the first five books), historical accounts and narratives (Books of Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon), and a variety of genres including poetry (Psalms), short stories (Book of Ruth), and dialogue (Book of Job).