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

Writing originated in Mesopotamia around 3500 BC, evolving from simple pictographs to a sophisticated syllabic system capable of recording complex grammar and literature. Cuneiform, the wedge-shaped script used for over three millennia, served as a vital tool for administration, law, and intellectual preservation. The decipherment of this script, aided by trilingual inscriptions like those at Bisutun, revealed a rich history of human experience, including flood narratives that predate biblical accounts by a millennium. These clay tablets, though often fragmentary, provide a window into ancient life, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the mechanics of the Royal Game of Ur. Museums like the British Museum act as essential repositories for these artifacts, preserving human history and enabling the reconstruction of ancient civilizations through the study of these enduring, albeit incomplete, records.