Epic of Gilgamesh, Mesopotamia 2100 BCEThe oldest known work of literature, originating from ancient Mesopotamia (Sumer, later Babylon).The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of a king seeking immortality, encountering lost wisdom, forgotten knowledge, and cosmic forces beyond human control. This mirrors humanity’s modern quest for transcendence, making it a powerful mythic parallel to AI, longevity science, and technological singularity.
~2100 BCE – The earliest Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh appear (Old Babylonian period).~1800–1600 BCE – The Old Babylonian version of the epic is compiled.~1300–1000 BCE – The most complete version, the Standard Akkadian version, is written down by the Assyrian scribe Sin-liqe-unninni.