Epic of Gilgamesh (Radio Edit)

2026-06-12 · 28 min · 12 entities

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→ appeared on You're Dead to Me podcast

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Hosted by: Greg Jenner
→ references The Epic of Gilgamesh book

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d comedian Marjolein Robertson to learn all about the famous Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Sumerian poems about a legendary king called Gilgamesh began to be composed so
→ discusses Comedy concept

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Feed category: Comedy
→ discusses History website

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Feed category: History
→ hosted by BBC company

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Feed author/publisher: BBC
→ hosted by BBC Radio 4 company

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Feed author/publisher: BBC Radio 4

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mentioned BBC company

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Feed author/publisher: BBC
mentioned BBC Radio 4 company

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Feed author/publisher: BBC Radio 4
hosted by BBC company

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Feed author/publisher: BBC
hosted by BBC Radio 4 company

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Feed author/publisher: BBC Radio 4

books 2

mentioned The Epic of Gilgamesh book

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d comedian Marjolein Robertson to learn all about the famous Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Sumerian poems about a legendary king called Gilgamesh began to be composed so
references The Epic of Gilgamesh book

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evidence rules-v5
d comedian Marjolein Robertson to learn all about the famous Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Sumerian poems about a legendary king called Gilgamesh began to be composed so

concepts 2

mentioned Comedy concept

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Feed category: Comedy
discusses Comedy concept

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Feed category: Comedy

websites 2

mentioned History website

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Feed category: History
discusses History website

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Feed category: History

persons 1

mentioned Greg Jenner person

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Hosted by: Greg Jenner

podcasts 1

appeared on You're Dead to Me podcast

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Hosted by: Greg Jenner

Episode description as stored

Greg Jenner is joined in the ancient world by Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid and comedian Marjolein Robertson to learn all about the famous Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Sumerian poems about a legendary king called Gilgamesh began to be composed sometime in the third millennium, and were told and retold throughout Mesopotamia until a Babylonian scholar named Sîn-leqi-unninni wrote down what has become the standard version. The tale he recorded tells of a tyrannical king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and the transformative journey he takes with his enemy-turned-friend (and possibly more), Enkidu. In the 3100 lines of the poem, they fight forest guardians and celestial bulls, anger the gods, and even challenge death itself. In this episode, we retell the story of Gilgamesh, exploring the history of the epic’s composition, what it tells us about ancient Mesopotamian storytelling and beliefs, and how it was rediscovered in the nineteenth century, written in cuneiform on clay tablets housed in the Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. We also look at the themes of companionship, community and environmental protection that are still relevant today, and ask the question: is Gilgamesh just a legend, or was he based on a real king? This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the full-length version, please look further back in the feed. Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Katharine Russell Written by: Katharine Russell, Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars