I'm currently reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest stories/myths/histories ever written. Originally chronicled in cuneiform on clay and wood tablets, this story is still being pieced together today from artifacts that are thousands of years old. I didn't know the story was so incomplete. There are quite a number of tablets - close to 80 I think that have been found. These tablets are sometimes written in different languages but they basically tell the same story. By piecing together portions of readable text, researchers have been able to create a kind of Frankenstein Gilgamesh. There are so many gaps in the story, though... it's a little disappointing.

That is still awesome, even if it is incomplete. I have never read the story but I have learned about it in my religious studies classes because it is of course where the story of Noah's ark came from. At least some scholars argue that. Very cool.

There are a couple great floods throughout history... There's another in Greek history. I'm sure there's probably more in Greek history other than the one I vaguely remember. I remember that there was an undersea volcano that erupted and caused floods. In that same legend a type of floating vessel was created... I'm not quite sure what an "ark" is.

Who are you SeeSpotRun? I'd like a small autobiography.

Who are you SeeSpotRun? I'd like a small autobiography.

Well, I live in the Pacific NW. I moved around a lot when I was growing up because my father is a minister. I am an avid reader. Some of my favorite subjects are religion, philosophy, and feminism, and I also enjoy literature a lot. I live with my husband and three cats. I am at a nice time in my life where I have settled down, which feels great. My 20's were for having fun and exploring the world and now, in my 30's I am a suburbanite, talking about having kids. What about you?

Yes, Camacho, what about you?

President Camacho wrote:There are a couple great floods throughout history... There's another in Greek history. I'm sure there's probably more in Greek history other than the one I vaguely remember. I remember that there was an undersea volcano that erupted and caused floods. In that same legend a type of floating vessel was created... I'm not quite sure what an "ark" is.

Noah's Ark is also the Argo used by Jason and the Argonauts, the barque of Osiris, the boat of Agastya, and the Ark of Gilgamesh. I have written on this quite a bit at BAUT thread on Argo.

Regarding the cosmic links of the Argo to the Great Year, it is notable that Jason's Argo has fifty oars, one for each arc second of precession of the equinox each year. This marks the actual period of the earth's spin wobble, a datum known to the ancients. And Canopus is the lost prow ornament. In India Canopus is called Agastya, the original word for Ark and Argo. The rise in visibility of Canopus/Agastya occurred in India over thousands of years as the star slowly precessed to the north from the South Celestial Pole. Agastya is a big dude in Indian mythology.

Here is an article on A Comparison of Noah's Ark and Gilgamesh.

That astronomy stuff is way over my head. Waaaay over my head.

I'm 28. Neglected my studies in high school and almost got the boot. I was sent to last chance class that just sat there all day like indoor suspension. Went to a motorcycle mechanics program after I barely graduated. Did that for a while until I joined the Air Force. I was stationed in Japan and that's when I started to gain an appreciation for studies. I took college classes and did pretty well. I still don't have my bachelors yet. I started reading beyond what was needed for college classes and found I enjoyed it. I am constantly surprised at how very little I know about everything. Today I'm an Air Traffic Control trainee in Hampton, Ga.

One of the most noteworthy things I've done is when I got out of the military, I bought and fitted out a small 19 foot sailboat. I installed a solar power system to it, radio, GPS, refrigerator, and compass. Then I took it from Homestead Bayfront all the way down to Marathon Key after having 2 sailing lessons - never having sailed or been exposed to sailing previously. The plan was to sail it to the Bahamas but that just never worked out. That little 7 day trip was it. Then she was sold so that I could move on with life and start my new career.

I like drinking, fishing, reading, learning new things, gardening, and motorcycles.

Pres, I’ve read how you remodeled a vintage lawn mower, how you created a trailer, your garden and home repairs, now you write about a sailboat. The fact that you used this sailboat without any training for seven days, really does show your love for learning new things and adventure. And that is what learning can be, an adventure. I have to say I admire you for having a rocky start, which could have ended your education (self education or otherwise) and have gone on to appreciate learning and to pursue greater things for yourself. Good for you.

You're very kind Suzanne. Ty.

I've finished reading the Epic of Gilgamesh or Bilgames - depending on which translation you read (Bilgames is the original). As a side note, spell check recognizes Gilgamesh but not Bilgames.

The tablets contain some pearls of wisdom. Gilgamesh is confronted with his own mortality when he first sees his friend Enkidu die. Enkidu is Gilga's closest friend that he loves like a wife? and who councils him and in earlier Sumerian versions is his servant. Anyway, Enkidu basically takes the bullet for Gilgamesh because the God's don't want to kill Gilga after he (with help from Enkidu) has killed Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. If they can't kill Gilgamesh they'll kill Enkidu instead ....lol. Poor Enkidu!!! So when he dies, Gilgamesh goes on a quest for immortality! It's not enough that his actions have earned his name a place in history, he must become truly immortal! After all, he's 2/3 God... soooo close already. Just 1/3 more and he'll have it! He chases down the builder of the ark and survivor of the Deluge. The survivor's name is Uta-Napishti and he is the Babylonian equivalent of the Bible's Noah. Uta is granted eternal life while the rest of mankind is doomed to certain death.

Gilga wants to know Uta's secret. At first it even appears he's ready to try and fight Uta for it. Uta challenges Gilga to stay awake and to fight sleep. If he wants to conquer death, staying awake should be easy. Gilga immediately falls asleep for 7 days. Almost everything in this book is 7. Enkidu has sex for the first time and it lasts like 7 nights, Enkidu dies for 7 days, there are 7 deadly auras of Huwawa.... 7.

Anyway, Gilga discovers man is destined from birth to die. It's inevitable. At the end of that particular story it ends with him showing off his city's massive walls that he has built. I think this is a nod back in the direction of Immortality. That while man can't last forever - his deeds just might.

Another interesting thing in the book is the burial of Gilgamesh. In his tomb he will rest with his entire entourage under the Euphrates river. I assume when he dies his household and servants will all be killed and placed in the tomb with him.

President Camacho wrote:I've finished reading the Epic of Gilgamesh

hail to the chief

or Bilgames - depending on which translation you read (Bilgames is the original). As a side note, spell check recognizes Gilgamesh but not Bilgames.

B versus G, same word, just like Bombay and Mumbai B v M

The tablets contain some pearls of wisdom. Gilgamesh is confronted with his own mortality when he first sees his friend Enkidu die. Enkidu is Gilga's closest friend that he loves like a wife? and who councils him and in earlier Sumerian versions is his servant. Anyway, Enkidu basically takes the bullet for Gilgamesh because the God's don't want to kill Gilga after he (with help from Enkidu) has killed Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. If they can't kill Gilgamesh they'll kill Enkidu instead ....lol. Poor Enkidu!!! So when he dies, Gilgamesh goes on a quest for immortality! It's not enough that his actions have earned his name a place in history, he must become truly immortal! After all, he's 2/3 God... soooo close already. Just 1/3 more and he'll have it! He chases down the builder of the ark and survivor of the Deluge. The survivor's name is Uta-Napishti and he is the Babylonian equivalent of the Bible's Noah. Uta is granted eternal life while the rest of mankind is doomed to certain death.

Uta-Napishti’s equivalence to Noah indicates the error of the traditional Christian belief that the story of Noah is ‘gospel truth’ while other ancient beliefs are ‘false myth’. The narrative of the Bible evolved from the ancient myth of Gilgamesh and other sources.

Gilga wants to know Uta's secret. At first it even appears he's ready to try and fight Uta for it. Uta challenges Gilga to stay awake and to fight sleep. If he wants to conquer death, staying awake should be easy. Gilga immediately falls asleep for 7 days. Almost everything in this book is 7. Enkidu has sex for the first time and it lasts like 7 nights, Enkidu dies for 7 days, there are 7 deadly auras of Huwawa.... 7.

There are seven days in a week, marked by the phases of the moon, plus an extra day or so each month. The ancients measured natural time by the movement of the planets, so seven is the simple natural unit of the week, marked by new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter. As well there are seven planets or Gods each attached to a crystalline sphere – the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, in the ancient flat earth cosmology.

Anyway, Gilga discovers man is destined from birth to die. It's inevitable. At the end of that particular story it ends with him showing off his city's massive walls that he has built. I think this is a nod back in the direction of Immortality. That while man can't last forever - his deeds just might.

xxxx you Camacho, you read too fast for me to keep up. Thank you for providing a superb summary of the main ideas of this ur-myth. I don’t have time to read the Epic of Gilgamesh just now, so will have to make do with wild rampant speculation. I suspect Gilga's city wall caper, as security from the fallen hordes of the vale of tears, is similar to Nimrod’s effort in building the Tower of Babel, that all our finite nods to Immortality will be dashed to nothing by the eternal power of the Almighty.

Another interesting thing in the book is the burial of Gilgamesh. In his tomb he will rest with his entire entourage under the Euphrates river. I assume when he dies his household and servants will all be killed and placed in the tomb with him.

The Euphrates is the cradle of civilization, so the location of Gilgamesh underneath it illustrates how his story is at the basis of civilization.