tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh
E813894
Tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh is the famous final tablet of the ancient Mesopotamian epic, best known for its detailed flood narrative and Gilgamesh’s encounter with the immortal Utnapishtim.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh | 0 |
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
cuneiform tablet
ⓘ
episode of the Epic of Gilgamesh ⓘ literary work ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs | Flood Tablet NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| containsCharacter |
Ea
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Enlil NERFINISHED ⓘ Gilgamesh NERFINISHED ⓘ Urshanabi NERFINISHED ⓘ Utnapishtim NERFINISHED ⓘ the gods of the Mesopotamian pantheon ⓘ |
| culture | Mesopotamian ⓘ |
| dateOfComposition | late second millennium BCE (approximate) ⓘ |
| describesEvent |
Gilgamesh’s journey to meet Utnapishtim
ⓘ
Gilgamesh’s return to Uruk ⓘ Gilgamesh’s test of staying awake ⓘ Utnapishtim’s sacrifice to the gods after the flood ⓘ construction of a large boat by Utnapishtim ⓘ discovery of a plant that restores youth ⓘ granting of immortality to Utnapishtim and his wife ⓘ great flood sent by the gods ⓘ landing of the boat after the flood ⓘ loss of the plant of rejuvenation to a serpent ⓘ preservation of life during the flood ⓘ release of birds to find dry land ⓘ |
| featuresMotif |
ark-like boat
ⓘ
divinely sent deluge ⓘ sacrifice pleasing to the gods ⓘ sending out birds after the flood ⓘ serpent stealing a life-giving plant ⓘ |
| genre | epic poetry ⓘ |
| hasInfluenced |
biblical flood narrative in Genesis
ⓘ
later Near Eastern flood traditions ⓘ |
| language | Akkadian NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| literaryTradition | Akkadian epic tradition ⓘ |
| mainTheme |
flood narrative
ⓘ
human mortality ⓘ quest for immortality ⓘ wisdom and acceptance of death ⓘ |
| narrativeFocus |
Utnapishtim’s account of the flood
ⓘ
dialogue between Gilgamesh and Utnapishtim ⓘ reflection on the achievements of Uruk ⓘ |
| originatesFrom | ancient Mesopotamia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| partOf | Epic of Gilgamesh NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| positionInSeries | 11 ⓘ |
| preservedIn | multiple clay tablet copies ⓘ |
| significance |
earliest extensive flood narrative known in world literature
ⓘ
key source for understanding Mesopotamian views of mortality and wisdom ⓘ |
| writingSystem | cuneiform ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.