Maurits' writings

I'm a big fan of the Epic of Gilgamesh. And despite it being 5000 years old, we still get treated with new material every once in a while. This is because the manuscripts we currently have are still incomplete, and new tablets with fragments of the the epic still get found every now and then. This has as a result that any translation is bound to become obsolete in due time.
However, I am very enthusiastic about the story. So, basing myself on Andrew George's 2003 corrected translation of the epic, I will try to compile every new fragment that has been found since the publication. This is all in order to give people the opportunity to read the most complete version of the epic available.

I do make to wish some notes, before I give the bibliography. First off, there are no promises this list is comprehensive. If you find a translation of a fragment not listed here yet, please do not hesitate to send me a message at maurits_neelis@hotmail.com.
Secondly, I hope to make a proper "reading guide" so it becomes more clear in what order to read the book and papers, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
Thirdly, Andrew George's translations are stellar and try to keep to the original as much as possible. While commendable, this also means that when there's a gap in the original manuscript, there's a gap in the translation. This can make for interrupted, uncomfortable reading from time to time. For a first time reader, it is fine to read N. K. Sandars' translation. Sandars' translation is from 1960 and is therefore a bit outdated; however, the liberties the translator has taken to fill in the gaps in the original manuscript make it easy and pleasant to read. But again: it is less true to the original, so make your choice based on your preferences.

Bibliography

Al-Rawi, F. N. H., & George, A. R. (2014). Back to the Cedar Forest: The Beginning and End of Tablet V of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. Journal of Cuneiform Studies, 66, 69–90. Link.

George, A. R. (2003). The Epic of Gilgamesh (2nd ed.). Penguin Classics.

George, A. R. (2007a). The Gilgamesh Epic at Ugarit. Aula Orientalis 25, 237–54. Link.

George, A. R. (2007b). The Civilising of Ea-Enkidu: An Unusual Tablet of the Babylonian Gilgameš Epic. Revue d’Assyriologie 101, 59–80. Link.

George, A. R. (2018). Enkidu and the Harlot: Another Fragment of Old Babylonian Gilgameš. Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie 108(1), 10-21. Link.

Jiménez, E. (2014). New Fragments of Gilgameš and other Literary Texts from Kuyunjik. Iraq 76, 99-121. Link.

Reading order

This is still a work in progress. Keep in mind that this is for *complete* reading, not *comfortable* reading.

  1. It is possible to start with George, A. R. (2007a). The Gilgamesh Epic at Ugarit. pp. 241-242. Lines 1-35. However, this is not the standard version of the epic, and is slightly corrupted. So it is also possible to start with the book. If you choose to read this fragment instead, read until line 35, then later in the article (p. 248), read the lines 52-58. Then continue at step 4 of this guide.
  2. Start with the book, and read until line I 50.
  3. Read George, A. R. (2007a). The Gilgamesh Epic at Ugarit. p. 248. Lines 52-58.
  4. Continue reading the book at line I 59.
  5. I haven't yet figured out the reading order for Tablet II-IV.
  6. When you reach Tablet V, start by reading Al-Rawi, F. N. H., & George, A. R. (2014). Back to the Cedar Forest: The Beginning and End of Tablet V of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. pp. 77–81. Lines 1-264.
  7. Read lines 265-269 of Jiménez, E. (2014). New Fragments of Gilgameš and other Literary Texts from Kuyunjik. p. 100.
  8. Al-Rawi, F. N. H., & George, A. R. (2014). Back to the Cedar Forest: The Beginning and End of Tablet V of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. pp. 81. Lines 270-272.
  9. Jiménez, E. (2014). New Fragments of Gilgameš and other Literary Texts from Kuyunjik. p. 100. Lines 273-274.
  10. Al-Rawi, F. N. H., & George, A. R. (2014). Back to the Cedar Forest: The Beginning and End of Tablet V of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. pp. 81-83. Lines 275-324.
  11. Return to the book at Tablet VI. From here on, again: I don't know.