#487 – Irving Finkel: Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations & Flood Myths | Lex Fridman Podcast

In this episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast, Lex interviews Irving Finkel, a scholar of ancient languages and cuneiform script. They discuss the origins of writing, focusing on cuneiform and its evolution from pictographs to a system encoding sound. Finkel shares his controversial theory that sound-based writing may have predated pictographic writing. They explore the complexities of deciphering cuneiform, the role of scribes, and the literature of the time, including the Epic of Gilgamesh and the flood narrative found on the Ark tablet. Finkel also discusses the ancient Royal Game of Ur, his reconstruction of its rules, and the broader significance of games in human culture, and the British Museum.

Outlines

Part 1: Origins and Decipherment of Cuneiform

Part 2: Culture, Religion, and Literature

Part 3: Games, Museums, and Modern Relevance

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#487 – Irving Finkel: Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations & Flood Myths

Lex Fridman Podcast

Part 1: Origins and Decipherment of Cuneiform

Introduction to Cuneiform and its Origins

Cuneiform's Development and a Controversial Theory on its Origins

The Scarcity of Evidence and the Nature of Assyriological Interpretation

Deciphering Cuneiform: Syllabic Writing and the Sumerian Language

The Motivation Behind Written Language and the Scribes

Part 2: Culture, Religion, and Literature

The Intellectual Class and the Limits of Language

Translation as Art and the Relationship with the Divine

Ghosts, Mortality, and the Problem with Monotheistic Religions

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Flood Narrative

The Ark Tablet and the Flood

Part 3: Games, Museums, and Modern Relevance

The Royal Game of Ur

The British Museum and the Wisdom of Ancient Peoples

The Importance of Vocabulary and a Final Visit to the British Museum

#487 – Irving Finkel: Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations & Flood Myths

Lex Fridman Podcast

Part 1: Origins and Decipherment of Cuneiform

00:00Introduction to Cuneiform and its Origins

Introduction to Cuneiform and its Origins

15:59Cuneiform's Development and a Controversial Theory on its Origins

Cuneiform's Development and a Controversial Theory on its Origins

27:30The Scarcity of Evidence and the Nature of Assyriological Interpretation

The Scarcity of Evidence and the Nature of Assyriological Interpretation

34:23Deciphering Cuneiform: Syllabic Writing and the Sumerian Language

Deciphering Cuneiform: Syllabic Writing and the Sumerian Language

41:30The Motivation Behind Written Language and the Scribes

The Motivation Behind Written Language and the Scribes

Part 2: Culture, Religion, and Literature

52:20The Intellectual Class and the Limits of Language

The Intellectual Class and the Limits of Language

1:00:00Translation as Art and the Relationship with the Divine

Translation as Art and the Relationship with the Divine

1:10:23Ghosts, Mortality, and the Problem with Monotheistic Religions

Ghosts, Mortality, and the Problem with Monotheistic Religions

1:20:08The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Flood Narrative

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Flood Narrative

1:30:21The Ark Tablet and the Flood

The Ark Tablet and the Flood

Part 3: Games, Museums, and Modern Relevance

1:41:44The Royal Game of Ur

The Royal Game of Ur

1:54:44The British Museum and the Wisdom of Ancient Peoples

The British Museum and the Wisdom of Ancient Peoples

2:08:40The Importance of Vocabulary and a Final Visit to the British Museum

The Importance of Vocabulary and a Final Visit to the British Museum