Museums

The Oriental Institute of Chicago

Striding Lion (from walls of Babylon) 604-562 BCE	Fragment of Dead Sea Scroll 1st Century CE	A possible early representation of Gilgamesh on top of a monster (Huwawa/ Humbaba?).
Egyptian image of a Palestinian.	Colossal Statue of Tutankhamun ca. 1334-1325 BCE	Colossal Bull Head 485-424 BCE (Persian)
An apkallu (sage).	Relief of Asshurnasirpal II with various artifacts.	Human-Headed Winged Bull ca. 721-705 BCE
Assyrian Cuneiform Inscription	Various Egyptian Statues and Inscriptions	Egyptian Adult Mummy
Inscribed Ossuary (Yoezer the scribe) 1st Century BCE	Egyptian burial pit	Deity holding a flowing vase ca. 721-705 BCE

The Field Museum in Chicago

Ancient Egyptian miniature statues and carvings.	More ancient Egyptian miniature statues and carvings, including canopic jars.	An ancient Egyptian mummy.
A couple more of ancient Egyptian mummies.	More ancient Egyptian miniature statues and carvings.	An ancient Egyptian boat.
Prehistoric fish, armor-plated.	A stegosaurus dinosaur.	Another prehistoric fish.
A saber-tooth cat.	A woolly mammoth.

A Display of Gilgamesh

Display of the Epic of Gilgamesh at the Downers Grove Public Library in Illinois, U.S.A.

Last week a friend had informed me of a display that was situated in the stairwell of the Downers Grove Public Library recounting the events of the Epic of Gilgamesh. For those who know me personally, this epic is my favorite story ever told. And why shouldn't it be? It is, in fact, the oldest story ever told. We had taken a trip one day to see this display and I took a few pictures.

This is the picture of the entire thing. The picture of Gilgamesh in the foreground is an enhanced image of him buried in this bas-relief (below the elbow). It is in the tenth tablet that Gilgamesh (after destroying the stone oarsmen) helps Urshanabi travel across the deadly ocean to Ut-napishtim. We see the huge poles that Gilgamesh was told to cut down and use to get to the island in which Ut-napishtim lives. Here is a close up of this scene.

We also have a display of the voyage to the Cedar Forest and the fight of Humbaba (below). With the aid of Shamash, both Gilgamesh and Enkidu were able to defeat Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar Forest. Here is an image of the sun god Shamash. We know this because of the horned cap which shows divinity and the sun rays coming out of his arms. He is also in the middle of the twin peaks which is where he goes into the underworld for the night (for twelve hours) before emerging again at sunrise. Gilgamesh ventures into the twin peaks and into the Underworld where he has to outrun the sun before it rises again in the ninth tablet.

It would seem that on the left Gilgamesh is wrestling Humbaba and on the right Gilgamesh is wrestling a lion. We know that he hunts lions and gazelles after the death of Enkidu. He wears the lion's skin as a sign of mourning.

Finally we have the eleventh tablet when Ut-napishtim tells Gilgamesh of the Flood Story. Below is Ea (Enki) the god of wisdom and the Apsu. It is Ea who speaks to Ut-napishtim (indirectly) and warns him of the upcoming disaster (the Flood). Ut-napishtim is told to assemble an ark and gather two of each animal to board the vessel and then the flood-gates will open the waters of the deep while Adad will cause the waters to fall from the heavens. Mankind perishes except for Ut-napishtim, his family, servants and the animal.

It is a shame that most individuals walking through this library will never truly appreciate and understand why the oldest story ever told would have a tribute at a public library.