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George Smith (Assyriologist)

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at the expense of that newspaper and carry out excavations with a view to finding the missing fragments of the Flood story. This journey resulted not only in the discovery of some missing tablets, but also of fragments that recorded the succession and duration of the Babylonian dynasties.
223:. As early as 1861, he was working evenings sorting and cleaning the mass of friable fragments of clay cylinders and tablets in the museum's storage rooms. In 1866 Smith made his first important discovery, the date of the payment of the 243:. Following the death of William H. Coxe in 1869 and with letters of reference from Rawlinson, Layard, William Henry Fox Talbot, and Edwin Norris, Smith was appointed Senior Assistant in the Assyriology Department early in 1870. 376:. According to the accounts of his coworkers in the reading room, on the day of the discovery, when Smith realized what he was reading he "began to remove articles of his clothing" and run around the room shouting in delight. 723:
George Rawlinson. A Memoir of Major-General Henry Creswicke Rawlinson. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1882; A facsimile of the first edition. Elibron Classic series, 2005; pp. 240–1.
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for a second expedition, this time at the expense of the museum, and continued his excavations at the tell of Kouyunjik (Nineveh). An account of his work is given in
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Henry C.Rawlinson, "The Assyrian Canon Verified by the Record of a Solar Eclipse, B.C. 763." The Athenaeum No. 2064, London: 18 May 1867, pp. 660–1.
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in 1853 on an archaeological mission for the British Museum on behalf of his colleague and mentor Austen Henry Layard. The following January,
171:, Smith was limited in his ability to acquire a formal education. At age fourteen, he was apprenticed to the London-based publishing house of 863: 1467: 914: 662: 219:, Egyptologist and Director of the Department of Antiquities, who brought the young man to the attention of the renowned Assyriologist 1356: 239:. Sir Henry suggested to the trustees of the museum that Smith should join him in the preparation of the third and fourth volumes of 933: 207:, during the archaeological expeditions of 1840–1855. In 1863 Smith married Mary Clifton (1835–1883), and they had six children. 332:
was forewarned and built an ark to house and preserve living things. After the flood, he sent out birds to look for dry land (
1462: 598: 324:"The Flood Tablet", the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic describes how the gods sent a flood to destroy the world. Like 1437: 415:, published early in 1875. The rest of the year was spent in fixing together and translating the fragments relating to the 451:. He died in Aleppo on 19 August. He left a wife and several children to whom an annuity of 150 pounds was granted by the 1497: 879: 547: 272: 1176: 820: 463:
Smith wrote about eight important works, including linguistic studies, historical works, and translations of major
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Smith's earliest successes were the discoveries of two unique inscriptions early in 1867. The first, a total
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Assyrian Discoveries: An Account of Explorations and Discoveries on the Site of Nineveh, During 1873 to 1874
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In March 1876, the trustees of the British Museum sent Smith once more to excavate the rest of the
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Barry Hoberman, " B Archaeologist Portrait: George Smith (1840–1876) Pioneer Assyriologist",
627: 510: 264: 1432: 1427: 1361: 1247: 1149: 794: 572:. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; New York: E. & J. B. Young. From 8: 1335: 1094: 608:, trans. E. B. Garside and Sophie Wilkins, 2nd ed. New York: Knopf, 1967. See chapter 22. 567: 555: 395: 196: 496: 1477: 1125: 1039: 172: 340: 1317: 1239: 1141: 924: 601:. Ch 1–2 (80 pages) of Smith's life, includes new-found evidence about Smith's death. 594: 381: 306: 303: 155: 106: 780:
History of Assurbanipall, Translated from the Cuneiform Inscriptions by George Smith
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inscribed on Tablet K51, he linked to the spectacular eclipse that occurred on
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The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh
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engraving, at which he excelled. From his youth, he was fascinated with
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History of Assurbanipal, translated from the cuneiform inscriptions
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History of Assurbanipal, translated from the cuneiform inscriptions
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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History of Sennacherib: Translated from the Cuneiform Inscriptions
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Smith's natural talent for cuneiform studies was first noticed by
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on 3 December. The audience included the sitting prime minister,
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In 1872, Smith achieved worldwide fame by his translation of the
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published in London, Volume III in 1871 and Volume IV in 1875.
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This work is better known today as the eleventh tablet of the
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Cornell University Library Historical Monographs Collection.
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The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
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Writers from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
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The Epic of Gilgamesh, or This Unnameable Little Broom
751: 749: 747: 745: 743: 741: 540:. New York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1876. From 738: 606:Gods, Graves and Scholars: The Story of Archeology 443:, a small village about sixty miles northeast of 269:L'art de vérifier les dates des faits historiques 1419: 407:In November 1873 Smith again left England for 162: 908: 430: 490: 246: 560:. London: Williams and Norgate, 1878. From 528:. London: Williams and Norgate, 1871. From 275:. The other was the date of an invasion of 915: 901: 733:The Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia 241:The Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia 31: 1473:British expatriates in the Ottoman Empire 419:, the results of which were published in 755: 652: 339: 319: 167:As the son of a working-class family in 153:who first discovered and translated the 271:. This discovery is the cornerstone of 1420: 783:. Williams and Norgate. pp. 15ff. 922: 896: 776: 613:"The great good luck of Mister Smith" 191:tablets that had been unearthed near 888:George Smith | British Assyriologist 795:"Secrets of Noah's Ark - Transcript" 1468:19th-century British archaeologists 787: 13: 14: 1509: 852: 294:a paper on "The Early History of 210: 16:British Assyriologist (1840–1876) 1400: 1399: 1093: 857: 681:, Volume 38, Number 2, May 2007. 640: 501:, London: Williams & Norgate 421:The Chaldaean Account of Genesis 881:The Chaldean account of Genesis 873:The Chaldean account of Genesis 839: 549:The Chaldean Account of Genesis 486:The Chaldean Account of Genesis 458: 370:Society of Biblical Archaeology 292:Society of Biblical Archaeology 273:ancient Near Eastern chronology 187:, studying publications on the 813: 770: 761: 726: 717: 708: 692: 467:literary texts. They include: 399:, arranged for Smith to go to 104:Discovered and translated the 1: 580: 1463:19th-century English writers 864:George Smith (assyriologist) 705:.1 (Winter 1983), pp. 41–42. 181:Assyrian culture and history 7: 1438:People from Chelsea, London 611:Robert S. Strother (1971). 368:, which he read before the 163:Early life and early career 10: 1514: 1498:Archaeologists from London 700:The Biblical Archaeologist 431:Final expedition and death 1395: 1349: 1327: 1297: 1258: 1223: 1168: 1109: 1102: 1091: 1063: 987: 941: 932: 636:, Volume 131, Issue 1687. 316:and expedition to Nineveh 298:", and an account of his 286:In 1871, Smith published 247:Discovery of inscriptions 140: 130: 120: 113: 100: 92: 65: 39: 30: 23: 1134:Gilgamesh in the Outback 1118:The Great American Novel 685: 569:The History of Babylonia 507:The History of Babylonia 288:Annals of Assur-bani-pal 1274:Demon with a Glass Hand 663:Encyclopædia Britannica 437:Library of Ashurbanipal 423:(1880, co-written with 374:William Ewart Gladstone 195:in present-day Iraq by 1448:English Assyriologists 1443:English archaeologists 777:Smith, George (1871). 557:History of Sennacherib 357: 350:The First Egyptian War 337: 1453:Deaths from dysentery 1180:(1955 Czech oratorio) 1177:The Epic of Gilgamesh 1064:Other mythical beings 866:at Wikimedia Commons 801:. PBS. 7 October 2015 628:Archibald Henry Sayce 604:C. W. Ceram (1967), 511:Archibald Henry Sayce 491:George Smith (1878), 484:George Smith (1876). 478:George Smith (1875). 471:George Smith (1871). 343: 323: 1362:Gilgamesh flood myth 1216:(1986 Serbian opera) 1198:(1970 Turkish opera) 1189:(1964 Turkish opera) 1150:Slaves of the Shinar 633:Littell's Living Age 537:Assyrian Discoveries 505:George Smith (18–). 413:Assyrian Discoveries 1336:The Tower of Druaga 1281:The Tower of Druaga 1248:Where Is Gilgamesh? 1207:(1972 Danish opera) 447:, he fell ill with 396:The Daily Telegraph 221:Sir Henry Rawlinson 197:Austen Henry Layard 1126:Gilgamesh the King 1040:Shullat and Hanish 827:. 13 February 2014 714:Damrosch, pp.12–15 617:Saudi Aramco World 358: 338: 253:eclipse of the sun 173:Bradbury and Evans 1458:Victorian writers 1415: 1414: 1345: 1344: 1240:Princess Mononoke 1142:Timewyrm: Genesys 1089: 1088: 925:Epic of Gilgamesh 862:Media related to 599:978-0-8050-8029-2 382:Epic of Gilgamesh 314:Epic of Gilgamesh 169:Victorian England 156:Epic of Gilgamesh 144: 143: 115:Scientific career 107:Epic of Gilgamesh 1505: 1403: 1402: 1377:Sîn-lēqi-unninni 1107: 1106: 1097: 939: 938: 917: 910: 903: 894: 893: 884:HTML with images 861: 846: 843: 837: 836: 834: 832: 817: 811: 810: 808: 806: 791: 785: 784: 774: 768: 765: 759: 753: 736: 730: 724: 721: 715: 712: 706: 696: 667: 646: 644: 643: 574:Internet Archive 562:Internet Archive 502: 393:, the editor of 265:François Clément 255:in the month of 72: 49: 47: 35: 21: 20: 1513: 1512: 1508: 1507: 1506: 1504: 1503: 1502: 1418: 1417: 1416: 1411: 1391: 1357:Popular culture 1341: 1323: 1293: 1254: 1219: 1169:Classical music 1164: 1098: 1085: 1059: 983: 928: 921: 855: 850: 849: 844: 840: 830: 828: 819: 818: 814: 804: 802: 793: 792: 788: 775: 771: 766: 762: 754: 739: 731: 727: 722: 718: 713: 709: 697: 693: 688: 656:, ed. (1911). " 641: 639: 583: 518:Online editions 461: 433: 425:Archibald Sayce 364:account of the 354:Rassam cylinder 344:Translation of 318: 267:(1714–1793) in 249: 237:Shalmaneser III 213: 201:Henry Rawlinson 165: 88: 74: 70: 61: 51: 45: 43: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1511: 1501: 1500: 1495: 1490: 1485: 1483:Assyriologists 1480: 1475: 1470: 1465: 1460: 1455: 1450: 1445: 1440: 1435: 1430: 1413: 1412: 1410: 1409: 1396: 1393: 1392: 1390: 1389: 1384: 1379: 1374: 1369: 1364: 1359: 1353: 1351: 1347: 1346: 1343: 1342: 1340: 1339: 1331: 1329: 1325: 1324: 1322: 1321: 1314: 1309: 1301: 1299: 1295: 1294: 1292: 1291: 1288:The Beginnings 1284: 1277: 1270: 1262: 1260: 1256: 1255: 1253: 1252: 1244: 1236: 1227: 1225: 1221: 1220: 1218: 1217: 1208: 1199: 1190: 1181: 1172: 1170: 1166: 1165: 1163: 1162: 1154: 1146: 1138: 1130: 1122: 1113: 1111: 1104: 1100: 1099: 1092: 1090: 1087: 1086: 1084: 1083: 1078: 1073: 1071:Bull of Heaven 1067: 1065: 1061: 1060: 1058: 1057: 1052: 1047: 1042: 1037: 1027: 1022: 1012: 1007: 1002: 997: 991: 989: 985: 984: 982: 981: 976: 971: 966: 961: 956: 951: 945: 943: 936: 930: 929: 920: 919: 912: 905: 897: 891: 890: 885: 877: 854: 853:External links 851: 848: 847: 845:Damrosch, p.77 838: 812: 786: 769: 760: 737: 725: 716: 707: 690: 689: 687: 684: 683: 682: 671:David Damrosch 668: 654:Chisholm, Hugh 637: 620: 609: 602: 587:David Damrosch 582: 579: 578: 577: 565: 553: 545: 533: 515: 514: 503: 488: 482: 476: 460: 457: 432: 429: 387:Hormuzd Rassam 334:British Museum 317: 311: 261:15 June 763 BC 248: 245: 212: 211:British Museum 209: 205:Hormuzd Rassam 185:British Museum 164: 161: 142: 141: 138: 137: 135:British Museum 132: 128: 127: 122: 118: 117: 111: 110: 102: 101:Known for 98: 97: 94: 90: 89: 81:Ottoman Empire 75: 73:(aged 36) 69:19 August 1876 67: 63: 62: 52: 41: 37: 36: 28: 27: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1510: 1499: 1496: 1494: 1491: 1489: 1486: 1484: 1481: 1479: 1476: 1474: 1471: 1469: 1466: 1464: 1461: 1459: 1456: 1454: 1451: 1449: 1446: 1444: 1441: 1439: 1436: 1434: 1431: 1429: 1426: 1425: 1423: 1408: 1407: 1398: 1397: 1394: 1388: 1387:Tale of Gudam 1385: 1383: 1380: 1378: 1375: 1373: 1370: 1368: 1365: 1363: 1360: 1358: 1355: 1354: 1352: 1348: 1338: 1337: 1333: 1332: 1330: 1326: 1320: 1319: 1315: 1313: 1312:Forgotten One 1310: 1308: 1307: 1303: 1302: 1300: 1296: 1289: 1285: 1282: 1278: 1275: 1271: 1268: 1264: 1263: 1261: 1257: 1250: 1249: 1245: 1242: 1241: 1237: 1234: 1233: 1229: 1228: 1226: 1222: 1215: 1213: 1209: 1206: 1204: 1200: 1197: 1195: 1191: 1188: 1186: 1182: 1179: 1178: 1174: 1173: 1171: 1167: 1160: 1159: 1155: 1152: 1151: 1147: 1144: 1143: 1139: 1136: 1135: 1131: 1128: 1127: 1123: 1120: 1119: 1115: 1114: 1112: 1108: 1105: 1101: 1096: 1082: 1079: 1077: 1074: 1072: 1069: 1068: 1066: 1062: 1056: 1053: 1051: 1048: 1046: 1043: 1041: 1038: 1035: 1031: 1028: 1026: 1023: 1020: 1016: 1013: 1011: 1008: 1006: 1003: 1001: 998: 996: 993: 992: 990: 986: 980: 977: 975: 972: 970: 967: 965: 962: 960: 957: 955: 952: 950: 947: 946: 944: 940: 937: 935: 931: 927: 926: 918: 913: 911: 906: 904: 899: 898: 895: 889: 886: 883: 882: 878: 875: 874: 869: 868: 867: 865: 860: 842: 826: 822: 816: 800: 796: 790: 782: 781: 773: 764: 757: 756:Chisholm 1911 752: 750: 748: 746: 744: 742: 734: 729: 720: 711: 704: 701: 695: 691: 680: 676: 672: 669: 665: 664: 659: 658:Smith, George 655: 650: 649:public domain 638: 635: 634: 629: 626:" (1876), by 625: 621: 618: 614: 610: 607: 603: 600: 596: 592: 588: 585: 584: 575: 571: 570: 566: 563: 559: 558: 554: 551: 550: 546: 543: 539: 538: 534: 531: 527: 526: 522: 521: 520: 519: 512: 508: 504: 500: 499: 495:, A.H (ed.), 494: 489: 487: 483: 481: 477: 474: 470: 469: 468: 466: 456: 454: 450: 446: 442: 438: 428: 426: 422: 418: 414: 410: 405: 402: 398: 397: 392: 388: 384: 383: 377: 375: 371: 367: 363: 355: 351: 347: 342: 335: 331: 327: 322: 315: 310: 308: 305: 301: 297: 293: 289: 284: 282: 278: 274: 270: 266: 262: 258: 254: 244: 242: 238: 234: 230: 226: 222: 218: 208: 206: 202: 198: 194: 190: 186: 182: 178: 174: 170: 160: 158: 157: 152: 151:Assyriologist 148: 139: 136: 133: 129: 126: 123: 119: 116: 112: 109: 108: 103: 99: 95: 91: 86: 82: 78: 68: 64: 59: 55: 50:26 March 1840 42: 38: 34: 29: 22: 19: 1404: 1382:George Smith 1334: 1316: 1306:Gilgamesh II 1304: 1246: 1238: 1230: 1211: 1202: 1193: 1184: 1175: 1156: 1148: 1140: 1132: 1124: 1116: 1081:Scorpion man 959:Enmebaragesi 923: 880: 872: 856: 841: 829:. Retrieved 825:the Guardian 824: 815: 803:. Retrieved 798: 789: 779: 772: 763: 732: 728: 719: 710: 702: 699: 694: 678: 661: 631: 624:George Smith 616: 605: 590: 568: 556: 548: 542:Google Books 536: 530:Google Books 524: 517: 516: 509:. Edited by 506: 497: 485: 479: 472: 465:Mesopotamian 462: 459:Bibliography 434: 420: 412: 406: 394: 391:Edwin Arnold 380: 378: 359: 346:Ashurbanipal 313: 307:inscriptions 300:decipherment 287: 285: 283:in 2280 BC. 268: 250: 240: 217:Samuel Birch 214: 166: 154: 147:George Smith 146: 145: 131:Institutions 114: 105: 71:(1876-08-19) 25:George Smith 18: 1433:1876 deaths 1428:1840 births 1328:Video games 1103:Adaptations 979:Utnapishtim 679:Smithsonian 675:"Epic Hero" 366:Great Flood 352:" from the 330:Utnapishtim 125:Assyriology 93:Nationality 1422:Categories 1259:Television 1110:Literature 934:Characters 581:References 231:, king of 46:1840-03-26 1478:Gilgamesh 1318:Gilgamesh 1212:Gilgamesh 1205:(Nørgård) 1203:Gilgamesh 1194:Gilgamesh 1187:(Kodallı) 1185:Gilgamesh 974:Urshanabi 949:Gilgamesh 449:dysentery 362:Chaldaean 296:Babylonia 277:Babylonia 189:cuneiform 175:to learn 60:, England 58:Middlesex 1406:Category 1214:(Brucci) 1196:(Saygun) 1000:Anunnaki 673:(2007). 593:(2007). 417:creation 304:Cypriote 281:Elamites 177:banknote 1488:Nineveh 1076:Humbaba 1030:Shamash 988:Deities 969:Shamhat 871:Smith, 651::  409:Nineveh 401:Nineveh 302:of the 279:by the 225:tribute 96:British 83:(today 54:Chelsea 1298:Comics 1267:Darmok 1251:(2024) 1243:(1997) 1235:(1985) 1161:(2009) 1153:(2006) 1145:(1991) 1137:(1986) 1129:(1984) 1121:(1973) 1050:Silili 1045:Siduri 1025:Ninsun 1019:Inanna 1015:Ishtar 964:Enkidu 942:Humans 805:27 May 645:  597:  445:Aleppo 441:İkizce 233:Israel 203:, and 121:Fields 77:Aleppo 1372:Mashu 1350:Other 1010:Enlil 831:2 May 686:Notes 677:, in 630:, in 615:, in 493:Sayce 453:Queen 439:. At 257:Sivan 235:, to 193:Mosul 85:Syria 1367:Uruk 1224:Film 995:Adad 833:2022 807:2019 799:Nova 595:ISBN 348:'s " 326:Noah 229:Jehu 66:Died 40:Born 1055:Wer 1034:Utu 954:Aga 660:". 427:). 227:by 1424:: 1005:Ea 823:. 797:. 740:^ 703:46 589:. 455:. 336:). 328:, 309:. 199:, 79:, 56:, 1290:" 1286:" 1283:" 1279:" 1276:" 1272:" 1269:" 1265:" 1036:) 1032:( 1021:) 1017:( 916:e 909:t 902:v 835:. 809:. 758:. 622:" 576:. 564:. 544:. 532:. 513:. 475:. 356:. 87:) 48:) 44:(

Index


Chelsea
Middlesex
Aleppo
Ottoman Empire
Syria
Epic of Gilgamesh
Assyriology
British Museum
Assyriologist
Epic of Gilgamesh
Victorian England
Bradbury and Evans
banknote
Assyrian culture and history
British Museum
cuneiform
Mosul
Austen Henry Layard
Henry Rawlinson
Hormuzd Rassam
Samuel Birch
Sir Henry Rawlinson
tribute
Jehu
Israel
Shalmaneser III
eclipse of the sun
Sivan
15 June 763 BC

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