The Oldest Story Written

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the first known story from the First Civilisation.

The oldest existing versions of this epic poem date to c 2000 BC, written in Sumerian cuneiform.  

The first "complete" version, which includes the flood myth (a great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities, destroys civilisation), dates to c. 1300-1000 BC.

Sumer was the site of the earliest known civilisation founded in the Mesopotamia region of the Fertile Crescent.

A civilisation is a complex society with urban development, social stratification, a form of government, and systems of communication beyond spoken language (such as writing).

Some of the best copies of the Epic of Gilgamesh were discovered in the library ruins of the 7th-century BC Assyrian king Ashurbanipal.

The story begins with a legendary king, Gilgamesh, ruling over the city of Uruk as a tyrant. The Mesopotamian deities create a companion for Gilgamesh, the hairy wild man Enkidu.

The adventures of Gilgamesh explores relationships, feelings, loneliness, friendship, loss, love, revenge and the fear of death. 

Two enemies become best friends after an “earth-shaking” fight and go on a dangerous adventure to the ends of the world. There are battles, deities and monsters. 

The story explores what is life and how to deal with our own mortality and inevitable loss. 

Gilgamesh starts out as a godlike cruel despot who seeks fame and immortality. However, he develops a deep friendship and discovers the limits of human life and the importance of community.

This cuneiform text is the 11th Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh and tells a story similar to Noah’s Ark. British Museum  

The 6th tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh. In this tablet, the goddess of love and war, Ishtar, attempts to seduce Gilgamesh who rejects her. When Ishtar’s father, the god Anu, sends the Bull of Heaven down to punish Gilgamesh for spurning her, Enkidu kills the creature.