Epic of Gilgamesh Facts & Worksheets

An old Mesopotamian literature called the Epic of Gilgamesh was written in the Akkadian tongue. It chronicles the reign of King Gilgamesh of Uruk from the Third Dynasty of Ur and is thought to have been written about 2100 BCE. It offers reflections on mortality and humanity and tells the tale of Gilgamesh as a youthful king. Its ideas on rulers’ divine right, the obligation to their people, and the quest for immortality have many overtly contemporary echoes.

See the fact file below for more information about the Epic of Gilgamesh, or you can download our 27-page Epic of Gilgamesh worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

THE STORY

• Before Homer composed the Iliad, the world’s oldest epic story was written in 1500 years. The Sumerian Gilgamesh, the brave king of Uruk, and his exploits are described in “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” Hormuzd Rassam unearthed this epic tale among the remains of Ashurbanipal’s library in Nineveh in 1853. 
• This Akkadian version, composed in cuneiform on 12 clay tablets, was written between 1300 and 1000 BCE.
• One of Mesopotamia‘s most treasured tales was “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” The story describes Gilgamesh as a young, attractive, and active ruler of Uruk. Gilgamesh was semi-divine since his mother was the goddess Ninsun, and his father was the priest-king Lugalbanda.
• In addition to being boisterous and active, Gilgamesh is nasty and arrogant. He challenges all the other young men to fight and compete physically. He also asserts his right to engage in sexual activity with any newlywed.
• The residents of Uruk are concerned by Gilgamesh’s actions and appeal to the great deity of heaven, , for assistance in dealing with their youthful monarch.
• The gods send a rogue Enkidu to confront Gilgamesh in the Gilgamesh Epic. At first, Enkidu coexists with animals in the rural wilderness.
• A temple priestess named Shamhat seduces and teaches him how to eat like a human being, somewhat civilizing him. The two engage in combat when Enkidu travels to Uruk and meets Gilgamesh. 
• Gilgamesh prevails in the conflict, and he and Enkidu grow close.
• The exploits of Gilgamesh and Enkidu are covered in the first part of the Gilgamesh epic. 
• The monster Humbaba, which the gods had placed in charge of the Forest of Cedar, is subdued and killed by them.
• When Ishtar/Inanna tries to seduce Gilgamesh, he rejects her. Ishtar requests the Bull of Heaven from the deity Enlil so that she might attack Gilgamesh in retaliation. However, the Bull is killed by Gilgamesh and Enkidu, infuriating the gods. The gods choose the death of Enkidu as Gilgamesh’s punishment.
• In the second part of the Epic, Gilgamesh searches for immortality as he grieves greatly for Enkidu’s passing and frets about his own. 
• He looks for Utnapishtim, a forerunner of the biblical Noah who lived forever and escaped the Great Flood.
• After locating Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh is advised to accept his mortality because he cannot alter it. According to the Gilgamesh epic, he returns to Uruk and becomes a good king. The Sumerian King List records that he reigned for 126 years.
• In addition to being an epic figure, Gilgamesh was a real-life ruler of Uruk, as evidenced by letters and inscriptions written at the time and discovered by archaeologists.
• However, in myths, Gilgamesh was transformed from a human, mortal ruler to the semi-divine hero of Mesopotamia’s most famous story. One of history’s most well-known tales is still The Epic of Gilgamesh.

FINDING THE STORY

• Hormuzd Rassam found the first complete text of the tale among the ruins of Ashurbanipal’s library in Nineveh in 1853.
• One of Assyria’s last great monarchs, Ashurbanipal, ruled from 668 to 637 BCE. In Nineveh, he put together the first meticulously arranged library in the ancient Middle East, which contained the Epic of Gilgamesh, which described events from more than a thousand years before.
• The Epic was inscribed on 12 clay tablets between 1300 and 1000 BC using cuneiform, the Middle Eastern writing method. This hastened the Epic of Gilgamesh’s decline into obscurity, which was hastened by the loss of the cuneiform writing method about the first century CE.
• We only learned the narrative after George Smith of the British Museum translated the tablets in 1872. In actuality, the translation of the tablets is still being done now. More complex interpretations of the narrative can be found as we learn about the ancient language; the most recent translation was published in 2015.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

• The Gilgamesh epic is an evident influence on later epics like Homer’s Odyssey, and, most notably, the Bible is not one of its most notable features. Genesis and the Garden of Eden are strikingly similar to Enkidu’s genesis and transformation from ape to man through a woman. 
• Gilgamesh, like Adam, is left impoverished but wiser at the end of the story, showing how their enlightenment journeys are comparable to those of Adam and Enkidu.
• The Epic’s portrayal of the Babylonian flood and the legend of Noah’s ark have several startling similarities. The narratives of the two stories parallel one another so closely and in the same sequence, point by point, that they are from the same tradition.
• Modern historians have claimed that the most logical conclusion we can draw from both tales is that they originate from a similar narrative about a flood in Mesopotamia. 
• Many elements that are crucial to our comprehension of Mesopotamia and its monarchs, as well as the influence of that tradition on succeeding peoples, are conveyed in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
• The tale was well known in antiquity; several copies of the narrative have been discovered in Akkadia and Babylonia, and its influence on later writing is undeniable.
• Similar literary devices may be found in Greek epics and the Bible, demonstrating how significant and formative this tale was to the ancient world and, via it, to the developing human psyche. 
• The Epic contains a wealth of information about early civilization and the values and outlook of our ancient ancestors.
• While there are undoubtedly mythical components, intriguing snippets from the archaeological record suggest that the story’s core has a kernel of reality. 
• For instance, “Gilgamesh” appears on a list of ancient Mesopotamian surviving kings.
• The poem has recurring themes of friendship, the king’s position, mortality, and the interactions between Gods and humans. The book is still relevant now as it was thousands of years ago because of these compelling themes.
• Many elements from “The Epic of Gilgamesh” are crucial to our understanding of Mesopotamia and its monarchs. 
• The poem has themes like male-female relationships, friendship, the king’s function, hostility, immortality, death, city vs. country life, civilization versus the wild, and human-divine ties.
• The numerous trials Gilgamesh faces throughout the epic help the hero grow up and become a decent ruler to his subjects.

Epic of Gilgamesh Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Epic of Gilgamesh across 27 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Epic of Gilgamesh. It chronicles the reign of King Gilgamesh of Uruk from the Third Dynasty of Ur and is thought to have been written about 2100 BCE. It offers reflections on mortality and humanity and tells the tale of Gilgamesh as a youthful king.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Epic of Gilgamesh Facts
2. Crossword
3. Historical Account 
4. Watch the Epic
5. Knowing The Personas
6. Theme Spotting
7. Moral Dilemmas
8. In Your Perspective
9. A Leader like Him
10. Symbol Making 
11. Discover Ancient Mesopotamia

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Epic of Gilgamesh?

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest known pieces of literature in human history. It is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) that dates back to the 18th century BCE. The epic tells the story of Gilgamesh, a historical king of Uruk, and his adventures, including his quest for immortality.

Who wrote the Epic of Gilgamesh?

The epic was written by ancient Sumerians and later revised and added to by Akkadian scholars. The authorship of the epic is traditionally attributed to a Sumerian poet named Shin-eqi-unninni, who lived around 2,000 BCE.

What are the major themes of the Epic of Gilgamesh?

The epic explores various themes, including the quest for immortality, the nature of human mortality, the value of friendship, the responsibilities of leadership, and the relationship between humans and gods.

Who is Enkidu, and what is his significance in the epic?

Enkidu is a wild man created by the gods as a foil to Gilgamesh. He is initially a primitive and untamed figure but is later civilized through a relationship with a temple prostitute. Enkidu’s character highlights themes of human nature, civilization, and the human-animal connection.

What is Gilgamesh’s ultimate quest in the epic?

Gilgamesh’s primary quest is to seek immortality, motivated by the death of his friend Enkidu. He embarks on a journey to find Utnapishtim, a man who survived a great flood and was granted immortality by the gods. This quest serves as a central narrative thread in the epic, ultimately leading Gilgamesh to reflect on the nature of life and death.

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