3: The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Afterlife

Our third episode covers the views held by the Ancient Mesopotamians as depicted in The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest works of literature to be preserved. We discuss the conception of the afterlife presented in the poem, which is quite egalitarian if not exactly comforting. We also discuss the second half of the poem which deals specifically with Gilgamesh's attempts at achieving immortality.This episode was originally recorded and released in August 2025 as part of The End of the World with Michael and Stu.