Hardback Book

This new interpretation of the Epic of Gilgamesh powerfully unites the great myth told on Earth with its parallel story unfolded by the stars and planets of the night sky. 

This ground-breaking work reveals how the constellations of stars that we witness today were actually defined and venerated by the same Mesopotamian people who recorded and constructed the story of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, who ruled his people nearly 5000 years ago. 

Van Aarsen’s new research reveals how the Gilgamesh myth – finalised in 1300 BCE - actually hides a secret record of Sumerian history, tracking major events from around 3100 BCE through to 1800 BCE when the last dynasty fell and the Babylonian empire rose to power. 

This new book also affirms the astonishing cultural legacy of the Sumerian people who not only gave us our understanding of the stars but also developed writing systems, complex mathematics and our use of the twenty-four hour clock.

What, the book explores, are the limits of Sumerian wisdom? Could ancient wisdom concealed in the Epic of Gilgamesh even help us manage our environmental crisis today?