Mesopotamian Ascent Literature

Enmeduranki

Lambert, W. G. "Enmeduranki and Related Matters." Journal of Cuneiform Studies. 21 (1967):126-38, esp. 130, 132.

Widengren, Geo. Ascension of the Apostle and the Heavenly Book (King and Saviour III). (Uppsala Universitets, 1950): 7-21. [BYU NA]

Relationship between Enmeduranki and Enoch traditions

Vanderkam, James C. Enoch and the Growith of an Apocalyptic Tradition. (Catholic Biblical Association, 1984), pp. 33-51.

Vanderkam, James C. Enoch: A Man for all Generations. (U. South Carolina, 1995), pp. 6-14.



Gilgamesh and Utnapishtim

Kovacs, Maureen Gallery. The Epic of Gilgamesh. (Stanford University Press, 1989). [PJ 3771 .G5 E5 1989].

See also Dalley, below.



Presentation scenes in cylinder seals (slides)

Collon, Dominique. First impressions : cylinder seals in the ancient Near East. (British Museum Publications, 1987), pp. 36, 126 [CD 5344 .C58x 1987]



General Bibliography on Mesopotamian Religion

Black, Jeremy and Anthony Green. Gods, demons and symbols of ancient Mesopotamia : an illustrated dictionary. (British Museum Press, 1992) [Ref 4: BL 1620 .B62x 1992]

Dalley, Stephanie. Myths from Mesopotamia (Oxford, 1989). [BL 1620 .M98 1989]

Jacobsen, Thorkild. The treasures of darkness : a history of Mesopotamian religion. (Yale University Press, 1976). [BL 2350 .I7 J33x 1976]

Roux, Georges. Ancient Iraq. 3rd ed. (Penguin Books, 1992) [DS 71 .R68 v 1992]





Slides of Cylinder seals



Read Enmeduranki

Relationship with Enoch





Gilgamesh

origins of the text

historical Gilgamesh

fragmentary Sumerian tales

Old Babylonian epic

complete ms only from Assyrian times

Basic plot

king

wall builder

oppresses the people

Enkidu and wrestling

defeat of Humbaba in the Cedar Forest

battle with the Bull of Heaven

death of Enkidu

Gilgamesh's search for eternal life

going to the ends of the earth

discovery of Utnapishtim

The question 11.7

How did Utnapishtim enter into company of the gods

flood story

Gilgamesh can't not sleep

7 day sleep

lost of the plant of immortality to the serpent