Wednesday, February 14th, 17:45
Library Art Gallery
Bilkent University’s Program in Cultures, Civilizations & Ideas presents a talk by:
Professor Andrew George
Professor of Babylonian, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, School of History, Religions & Philosophies
THE ASCENT OF ENKIDU: A NEW FRAGMENT OF OLD BABYLONIAN GILGAMESH
The story of the wild man Enkidu is one of the most profound themes of the Epic of Gilgamesh. This lecture will present a newly identified Old Babylonian fragment of the episode in which Enkidu is turned from animal into man. It will consider how this new passage affects the reconstruction of the poem in its various versions and how it increases our understanding of a Babylonian poet’s reflections on the ascent of man.
Professor Andrew George is the author of many scholarly books and articles, notably, a critical edition of the Gilgamesh epic for Oxford University Press (2003), and a prize-winning translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh for the Penguin Classics series (2000). He is a Fellow of the British Academy and an Honorary Member of the American Oriental Society.
All are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be available.