Zombies written about on Stone Tablet

It’s not just werewolves that date back to ancient times, but other creatures as well. One of the most interesting being the zombie. The zombie – an undead creature that many might think is a fiction made up by pop novelists and modern-day moviemakers actually dates back thousands of years.

In fact, one of the oldest known works of literature that was ever created talks about zombies! The work is called the Epic of Gilgamesh, and is one of the oldest known works of literature that was ever created (possibly written as early as 3,000 BC).  The story is so old it was preserved on 12 clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia, and is considered one of the most important greatest masterpieces of epic poetry ever created. The story was probably passed down orally from person to person before being collected and formally written to preserve it. It tells the tale, adventures, and quest for immortality of the King of Uruk.

In Tablet 6 of the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is believed that the story references zombies…

I will knock down the Gates of the Netherworld,
I will smash the door posts, and leave the doors flat down,
and will let the dead go up to eat the living!
And the dead will outnumber the living!

-Ishtar, Epic of Gilgamesh