From the Near East comes the old Babylonian tale of the life and death of GILGAMESH. There was a real Gilgamesh, a king who reigned approximately 2,700 years before Jesus Christ lived and the Romans consolidated their vast empire. The character and exploits of this king were preserved in the form of stories that circulated for many years after the king's death. Some of these tales – more than 600 years after the reign of Gilgamesh – were collected by a storyteller and written down in the form of an epic poem. This poem is what we know today as The Epic of Gilgamesh. Who knows how many versions the Epic of Gilgamesh went through before being consolidated into written form? Who knows how many translations the stories underwent before being reworked into the Babylonian language? Who knows how many parts of the story might have offended or misrepresented the eponymous king? Who knows how many storytellers have made more (or less) reference to Mashu, the mountainous gateway to the other world, keeping their audiences spellbound with fantastical details about that greatest of human adventures: the struggle to find (and keep ) eternity. the life ? What we know is no less intriguing. How curious is the parallel between the story of Utnapishtim and the Hebrew story of Noah. How symbolic is the depiction of Enkidu, the prototypical natural man, as he abandons his animalistic behaviors in favor of the pleasures of human society. How extraordinary is the description of the serpent, whose theft of the essence of immortality from Gilgamesh results in the serpent's rebirth every time it sheds its skin. Of course, the Hebrew version of the Flood story is no coincidence. For a time, the HEBREWS lived in SUMER, the homeland of Abraham's people. A nomadic people, they left the fertile river valleys and headed to CANAAN and later to EGYPT, carrying with them ancient tales of floods and righteous people whose obedience and wisdom helped them survive with devouring waters..