Epic of Gilgamesh Gets Written Down

The Standard Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh was compiled around 1800-1600 BCE from older Sumerian poems. It tells the story of a king searching for immortality after his best friend dies — absolutely devastating, honestly. But the wildest part? Tablet XI contains a flood narrative with a boat, animals, a dove sent out to find land, and divine judgment. Sound familiar? The parallels with Noah's flood are so obvious that scholars have been debating the connection for over a century.