In the Great Flood of ancient Mesopotamian mythology, the gods cower from the storm as humanity teeters on the brink of extinction. What saves humanity? A subversive act: when the god of wisdom and magic tells a flood survivor to build an ark. While the Mesopotamian flood story sounds similar to one in the Bible or the Qur’an, they are quite distinct. This Great Lecture explores whether the Great Floods really happened; and recounts wellknown and newly identified versions of the Mesopotamian flood, as well as related stories from other cultures.

Dr. Stephen J. Tinney, Deputy Director, Chief Curator, and Head of Collections and Research