Gilgamesh, a myth from Mesopotamia.

Hello, this is Richard, and I'm here with one of the oldest stories in the world.

It is older even than the Bible.

Its hero is a great king, warrior and strongman called Gilgamesh,

who wanted to discover the secret of immortality or living forever.

It was written down around 4,000 years ago on clay tablets in letters called cuneiform

when the city of Babylon was at the height of its

powers. Babylon was in the part of the world called Mesopotamia, which means between the two rivers,

and is in modern-day Iraq. The story goes back even further in time to when a civilization called the Sumerians ruled Mesopotamia

about 6,000 years ago.

So here is the story of Gilgamesh based on the ancient tales.

Of him who found all things, who experienced everything, who went everywhere, I shall tell the tale.

He gained complete wisdom. He found out what was secret. He uncovered what was hidden. He built the

walled city of Uruk. If you climb up onto its high battlements and take a walk around,

you will see a glistening city one square mile in size.

You will see green orchards just as big.

You will see the vast quarries where they dug out the clay to build the houses.

You will see the temple of Ishtar and its lovely grounds.

He ordered all this to be built.

What was his name?

What manner of men was he?

To find out, listen on.

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