Years ago I taught an eighth grade class on ancient history. The school used one of those giant Western Civilization textbooks. There was a page on the Epic of Gilgamesh recounting the details of the story and a little text box with a paragraph or two from the epic. Students were able to get their points on the test by identifying Gilgamesh and his hairy friend Enkidu. My guess is that this memory has long since faded and it really wasn't worth saving anyway. How I wish that I had been able to have those students read the tale itself or a superb retelling like Gilgamesh the Hero and skip the textbook altogether.
I've now read Gilgamesh the Hero twice, once on my own and once with my 10 year old son. We will never forget the friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the humor of Gilgamesh's refusal to marry the goddess Ishtar, the heroic feats, and the anguish over death and the search for immortality in this ancient story.
And just for fun (beware, this tune will stick with you for days):
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