Epic of Gilgamesh
Listen before buying
Epic of Gilgamesh gets recommended on The Ezra Klein Show and The Joe Rogan Experience, including episodes with Billy Carson and Jelly Roll, with transcript quotes, timestamps, and episode context.
Epic of Gilgamesh appears 11 times across 11 podcast episodes on 7 shows, with transcript quotes and timestamps.
“I think it's very worthwhile to read Gilgamesh.”
Why people keep bringing this up
Both recorded mentions of The Epic of Gilgamesh on the Joe Rogan Experience come from guests using the work as a touchstone for discussions about antiquity and narrative influence. In episode #2212 guest Jelly Roll framed the Epic as an ancient story preserved over thousands of years, using that longevity to illustrate the power of storytelling. In episode #2160 guest Billy Carson described the Epic as one of the oldest versions of many stories that appear in the Bible, calling attention to parallels between the texts.
Because both references occurred on the same podcast with different guests, the pattern suggests the Epic of Gilgamesh is repeatedly invoked on that program when conversations turn to the historical roots of familiar narratives and the endurance of early stories. The two cited episodes point to a recurring use of the work as evidence of long-lived storytelling traditions and as a comparative reference for understanding similarities between ancient Near Eastern tales and later religious narratives.
The host discusses the historical significance of Uruk and its connection to the epic of Gilgamesh, emphasizing the darker aspects of urbanism and power dynamics in ancient Mesopotamia. The mention of Gilgamesh serves to illustrate how literature emerged from the societal complexities of early city life.
The host discusses the significance of ancient libraries, particularly focusing on the library of Ashurbanipal, which housed many important texts including the Epic of Gilgamesh. This mention illustrates the role of such texts in understanding ancient civilizations and their cultural practices.
The host mentions 'Gilgamesh' to illustrate the transition from oral storytelling to written history. This reference highlights the importance of narrative in understanding ancient cultures and their histories.
Recent show rotation: The Ezra Klein Show, The Joe Rogan Experience, and Stuff You Should Know.
Guests tied to these mentions include Billy Carson, Jelly Roll, Will Harris, and Irving Finkel.
Fastest path back to the source: the strongest indexed mention lands at 1:16:23 in the episode where we captured it.
Quick FAQ
Answers to common book, episode, podcast, and guest questions.
Which episode recommended Epic of Gilgamesh?
How Do We Face Loss With Dignity? on The Ezra Klein Show is one of the clearest indexed episodes that recommended Epic of Gilgamesh. Other indexed episodes include #2160 - Billy Carson on The Joe Rogan Experience and Selects: Why Do Great Flood Myths Seem To Be Universal? on Stuff You Should Know. The first indexed transcript timestamp lands at 1:16:23.
Which podcast mentioned Epic of Gilgamesh?
The Ezra Klein Show, The Joe Rogan Experience, and Stuff You Should Know are the main indexed podcasts currently tied to Epic of Gilgamesh.
Who recommended Epic of Gilgamesh on podcasts?
Billy Carson, Jelly Roll, and Will Harris are the main guests currently tied to recommending Epic of Gilgamesh.
Why do podcast guests bring up Epic of Gilgamesh?
The host discusses the historical significance of Uruk and its connection to the epic of Gilgamesh, emphasizing the darker aspects of urbanism and power dynamics in ancient Mesopotamia. The mention of Gilgamesh serves to illustrate how literature emerged from the societal complexities of early city life. It most often appears in conversations about ancient city civilization, ancient libraries and texts, and ancient storytelling and history.
Mentions across episodes
Every mention card links back to the episode page and exact transcript anchor.
“Gilgamesh is noted for its importance in understanding shared cultural history and its conversation with works like the Odyssey and the Bible.”
“The Epic of Gilgamesh, for people who don't know, is one of the oldest versions of a lot of the stories that you hear in the Bible very similar to them.”
“George Smith came across a story of the Epic of Gilgamesh and read this, quote, Build a boat. Abandon wealth and seek survival. Spurn poverty. Save life.”
“I was immediately reminded that, you know, the earliest known poetry actually is the epic of Gilgamesh from Mesopotamian. You know, this was during Sumerian times.”
“Gilgamesh is mentioned as the most famous classic literary text found among the clay tablets in the Assyrian library founded by Ashurbanipal.”
“The excerpt discusses lines from a poem written about Uruk, specifically mentioning Gilgamesh as the most famous of Mesopotamian poems.”
“The Epic of Gilgamesh is referenced as an ancient story that has been preserved over thousands of years, illustrating the power of storytelling.”
“The excerpt references Gilgamesh as a story from Mesopotamian history that was likely told for hundreds of years before being written down.”
“The speaker references 'the stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh' while discussing ancient tales related to floods.”
“The speaker mentions the Epic of Gilgamesh as the oldest version of the Bible in terms of the stories of Noah's Ark, suggesting it has roots in ancient narratives.”
“The Epic of Gilgamesh is mentioned as one of the earliest works of literature, written in cuneiform and known from a set of Assyrian tablets.”