The Gilgamesh Epic

Facilitator: Christine Hays, (970) 237-9340, haysmith1980@gmail.com Dates: Wednesdays, April 1 — April 22, 2026 (4 weeks)
Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM 
Required Text: The Epic of Gilgamesh, N. K. Sandars / Penguin Press. There are many translations of the Gilgamesh Epic. Participants must read the same translation so we are literally "on the same page." Presentations: None required, This is a discussion-based class. Participants are asked to prepare for discussions by reading required section of Gilgamesh. Participation is always voluntary. Location: Foxtail 2, Senior Center, Class Limit: 20

We are not dissimilar to the ancients even though we are separated by 5,000 years. Ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia) is often titled “The Cradle of Civilization” due to its technological achievements and its status as creating the first written language and recorded history. Also of great importance is the Sumerian contribution to literature as The Gilgamesh Epic explores just what it means to be human. This work created archetypes that influenced the Old Testament, other epic literature, psychoanalysis and even Star Trek. It is still relevant today. Travel with Gilgamesh, King of Ur, as he meets and loses his dearest friend, fights a monster disguised as a mountain, journeys to meet the Sumerian “Noah” to find the secret to immortality, and learns how to be truly human.

Join me as we learn about this fascinating civilization, the epic itself; influences on the Old Testament Garden of Eden, the Flood, etc.; impact on Homer and other authors; how Freud and Jung used it to explain psychoanalytical behavior, and how it resonates today and in the Star Trek episode “Darmok.”