<description>&lt;p&gt;Irving Finkel is a scholar of ancient languages and a longtime curator at the British Museum, renowned for his expertise in Mesopotamian history and cuneiform writing. He specializes in reading and interpreting cuneiform inscriptions, including tablets from Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian contexts. He became widely known for studying a tablet with a Mesopotamian flood story that predates the biblical Noah narrative, which he presented in his book &amp;#8220;The Ark Before Noah&amp;#8221; and in a documentary that involved building a circular ark based on the tablet&amp;#8217;s technical instructions.&lt;br /&gt; Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep487-sc"&gt;https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep487-sc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Transcript:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/irving-finkel-transcript"&gt;https://lexfridman.com/irving-finkel-transcript&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;CONTACT LEX:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Feedback&lt;/b&gt; &amp;#8211; give feedback to Lex: &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/survey"&gt;https://lexfridman.com/survey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;AMA&lt;/b&gt; &amp;#8211; submit questions, videos or call-in: &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/ama"&gt;https://lexfridman.com/ama&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Hiring&lt;/b&gt; &amp;#8211; join our team: &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/hiring"&gt;https://lexfridman.com/hiring&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Other&lt;/b&gt; &amp;#8211; other ways to get in touch: &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/contact"&gt;https://lexfridman.com/contact&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;EPISODE LINKS:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Irving&amp;#8217;s Instagram: &lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/drirvingfinkel/"&gt;https://www.instagram.com/drirvingfinkel/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; The Ark Before Noah (book): &lt;a href="https://amzn.to/4j2U0DW"&gt;https://amzn.to/4j2U0DW&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Irving Lectures Playlist: &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYXwZvOwHjVcFUi9iEqirkXRaCUJdXGha"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYXwZvOwHjVcFUi9iEqirkXRaCUJdXGha&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; British Museum Video Playlist: &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx603A6p5EJ9DVcESqQReT7QyK"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx603A6p5EJ9DVcESqQReT7QyK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; British Museum Website: &lt;a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/"&gt;https://www.britishmuseum.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; The Great Diary Project: &lt;a href="https://thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk/"&gt;https://thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;SPONSORS:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; To support this podcast, check out our sponsors &amp;amp; get discounts:&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Shopify:&lt;/b&gt; Sell stuff online.&lt;br /&gt; Go to &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/shopify-ep487-sc"&gt;https://shopify.com/lex&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Miro:&lt;/b&gt; Online collaborative whiteboard platform.&lt;br /&gt; Go to &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/miro-ep487-sc"&gt;https://miro.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Chevron:&lt;/b&gt; Reliable energy for data centers.&lt;br /&gt; Go to &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/chevron-ep487-sc"&gt;https://chevron.com/power&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;LMNT:&lt;/b&gt; Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.&lt;br /&gt; Go to &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep487-sc"&gt;https://drinkLMNT.com/lex&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;AG1:&lt;/b&gt; All-in-one daily nutrition drink.&lt;br /&gt; Go to &lt;a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/ag1-ep487-sc"&gt;https://drinkag1.com/lex&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;OUTLINE:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; (00:00) &amp;#8211; Introduction&lt;br /&gt; (00:43) &amp;#8211; Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections&lt;br /&gt; (09:53) &amp;#8211; Origins of human language&lt;br /&gt; (15:59) &amp;#8211; Cuneiform&lt;br /&gt; (23:12) &amp;#8211; Controversial theory about Göbekli Tepe&lt;br /&gt; (34:23) &amp;#8211; How to write and speak Cuneiform&lt;br /&gt; (39:42) &amp;#8211; Primitive human language&lt;br /&gt; (41:26) &amp;#8211; Development of writing systems&lt;br /&gt; (42:20) &amp;#8211; Decipherment of Cuneiform&lt;br /&gt; (54:51) &amp;#8211; Limits of language&lt;br /&gt; (59:51) &amp;#8211; Art of translation&lt;br /&gt; (1:05:01) &amp;#8211; Gods&lt;br /&gt; (1:10:25) &amp;#8211; Ghosts&lt;br /&gt; (1:20:13) &amp;#8211; Ancient flood stories&lt;br /&gt; (1:30:21) &amp;#8211; Noah&amp;#8217;s Ark&lt;br /&gt; (1:41:44) &amp;#8211; The Royal Game of Ur&lt;br /&gt; (1:54:43) &amp;#8211; British Museum&lt;br /&gt; (2:02:08) &amp;#8211; Evolution of human civilization&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lex Fridman Podcast

Lex Fridman

#487 – Irving Finkel: Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations & Flood Myths

DEC 12, 2025-1 MIN
Lex Fridman Podcast

#487 – Irving Finkel: Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations & Flood Myths

DEC 12, 2025-1 MIN

Description

<p>Irving Finkel is a scholar of ancient languages and a longtime curator at the British Museum, renowned for his expertise in Mesopotamian history and cuneiform writing. He specializes in reading and interpreting cuneiform inscriptions, including tablets from Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian contexts. He became widely known for studying a tablet with a Mesopotamian flood story that predates the biblical Noah narrative, which he presented in his book &#8220;The Ark Before Noah&#8221; and in a documentary that involved building a circular ark based on the tablet&#8217;s technical instructions.<br /> Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep487-sc">https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep487-sc</a><br /> See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.</p> <p><b>Transcript:</b><br /> <a href="https://lexfridman.com/irving-finkel-transcript">https://lexfridman.com/irving-finkel-transcript</a></p> <p><b>CONTACT LEX:</b><br /> <b>Feedback</b> &#8211; give feedback to Lex: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/survey">https://lexfridman.com/survey</a><br /> <b>AMA</b> &#8211; submit questions, videos or call-in: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/ama">https://lexfridman.com/ama</a><br /> <b>Hiring</b> &#8211; join our team: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/hiring">https://lexfridman.com/hiring</a><br /> <b>Other</b> &#8211; other ways to get in touch: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/contact">https://lexfridman.com/contact</a></p> <p><b>EPISODE LINKS:</b><br /> Irving&#8217;s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/drirvingfinkel/">https://www.instagram.com/drirvingfinkel/</a><br /> The Ark Before Noah (book): <a href="https://amzn.to/4j2U0DW">https://amzn.to/4j2U0DW</a><br /> Irving Lectures Playlist: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYXwZvOwHjVcFUi9iEqirkXRaCUJdXGha">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYXwZvOwHjVcFUi9iEqirkXRaCUJdXGha</a><br /> British Museum Video Playlist: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx603A6p5EJ9DVcESqQReT7QyK">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx603A6p5EJ9DVcESqQReT7QyK</a><br /> British Museum Website: <a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/">https://www.britishmuseum.org/</a><br /> The Great Diary Project: <a href="https://thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk/">https://thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk/</a></p> <p><b>SPONSORS:</b><br /> To support this podcast, check out our sponsors &amp; get discounts:<br /> <b>Shopify:</b> Sell stuff online.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/shopify-ep487-sc">https://shopify.com/lex</a><br /> <b>Miro:</b> Online collaborative whiteboard platform.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/miro-ep487-sc">https://miro.com/</a><br /> <b>Chevron:</b> Reliable energy for data centers.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/chevron-ep487-sc">https://chevron.com/power</a><br /> <b>LMNT:</b> Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep487-sc">https://drinkLMNT.com/lex</a><br /> <b>AG1:</b> All-in-one daily nutrition drink.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/ag1-ep487-sc">https://drinkag1.com/lex</a></p> <p><b>OUTLINE:</b><br /> (00:00) &#8211; Introduction<br /> (00:43) &#8211; Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections<br /> (09:53) &#8211; Origins of human language<br /> (15:59) &#8211; Cuneiform<br /> (23:12) &#8211; Controversial theory about Göbekli Tepe<br /> (34:23) &#8211; How to write and speak Cuneiform<br /> (39:42) &#8211; Primitive human language<br /> (41:26) &#8211; Development of writing systems<br /> (42:20) &#8211; Decipherment of Cuneiform<br /> (54:51) &#8211; Limits of language<br /> (59:51) &#8211; Art of translation<br /> (1:05:01) &#8211; Gods<br /> (1:10:25) &#8211; Ghosts<br /> (1:20:13) &#8211; Ancient flood stories<br /> (1:30:21) &#8211; Noah&#8217;s Ark<br /> (1:41:44) &#8211; The Royal Game of Ur<br /> (1:54:43) &#8211; British Museum<br /> (2:02:08) &#8211; Evolution of human civilization</p>