Commemorating the life and struggle of a legendary Assyriologist today: George Smith
I have started taking a Masterpieces of World Literature course online with edX.
There is so much to learn about the world literature beginning with Epic of Gilgamesh to today's novels which I have to admit that I knew so little of.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this awesome online course.
A highly recommended to anyone interested in history, literature, creative writing and world culture.
I came across an English Assyriologist George Smith from this course.
180 years ago today, March 26th, he was born.
He was a pioneering Assyriologist who discovered and translated the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest-known written work of literature.
Smith came from a poor family with no special education, he was a banknote engraver who was fascinated by biblical stories and happened to work near The British Museum. He self-taught himself Assyriology by spending time in the Museum and eventually became an assistant of the Museum cleaning the cuneate tablets every day in and out.
One day he discovers the "The Flood Tablet", a story on the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic describing how the gods sent a flood to destroy the world. More familiar story to us is that of Noah, a family warned of annihilation and built an ark to save his family and preserve living animals. On the tablet there was a description on sending out birds to look for dry land after the flood. Ground breaking history of such a similarity.
In 1872, Smith achieved worldwide fame by his translation of the Great Flood. He presented" at the Society of Biblical Archaeology on 3 December and whose audience included the Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone".
Up to here it is a great story of a man advancing from a poor background, pursuing his passion to make a foot mark in the history.
But I also learned that when he died of dysentery he was on an excavation trip to At Ikisji, a small village in northeast of Aleppo.
In the course, Professor David Damrosch explains Smith was exchanging letters with his employer, The British Museum. When Smith was facing obstacles such as deadly warfare or sickness at sites and was unable to continue his excavation, requesting to return, The British Museum refused him with no mercy treating him as if he was a just servant. Smith stayed for another two months and died.
This was back in 19th century. I know.
But still the class system as such remains in any country and to this day it is what partly constitutes a society.
Regardless of his historical discoveries, his passion and everything else he achieved, Smith was a man still from his class to which he was born into.
The life story of George Smith is not just about discovery on Assyriology, it teaches a great deal about society, class and our perception to this day.
There is so much to learn about the world literature beginning with Epic of Gilgamesh to today's novels which I have to admit that I knew so little of.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this awesome online course.
A highly recommended to anyone interested in history, literature, creative writing and world culture.
I came across an English Assyriologist George Smith from this course.
180 years ago today, March 26th, he was born.
He was a pioneering Assyriologist who discovered and translated the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest-known written work of literature.
Smith came from a poor family with no special education, he was a banknote engraver who was fascinated by biblical stories and happened to work near The British Museum. He self-taught himself Assyriology by spending time in the Museum and eventually became an assistant of the Museum cleaning the cuneate tablets every day in and out.
One day he discovers the "The Flood Tablet", a story on the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic describing how the gods sent a flood to destroy the world. More familiar story to us is that of Noah, a family warned of annihilation and built an ark to save his family and preserve living animals. On the tablet there was a description on sending out birds to look for dry land after the flood. Ground breaking history of such a similarity.
(a picture from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Smith_(Assyriologist))
In 1872, Smith achieved worldwide fame by his translation of the Great Flood. He presented" at the Society of Biblical Archaeology on 3 December and whose audience included the Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone".
Up to here it is a great story of a man advancing from a poor background, pursuing his passion to make a foot mark in the history.
But I also learned that when he died of dysentery he was on an excavation trip to At Ikisji, a small village in northeast of Aleppo.
In the course, Professor David Damrosch explains Smith was exchanging letters with his employer, The British Museum. When Smith was facing obstacles such as deadly warfare or sickness at sites and was unable to continue his excavation, requesting to return, The British Museum refused him with no mercy treating him as if he was a just servant. Smith stayed for another two months and died.
This was back in 19th century. I know.
But still the class system as such remains in any country and to this day it is what partly constitutes a society.
Regardless of his historical discoveries, his passion and everything else he achieved, Smith was a man still from his class to which he was born into.
The life story of George Smith is not just about discovery on Assyriology, it teaches a great deal about society, class and our perception to this day.
