\u201cSurpassing all kings, powerful and tall\nbeyond all others, violent, splendid,\na wild bull of a man, unvanquished leader,\nhero in the front lines, beloved of his soldiers \u2013 \nfortress they called him, protector of the people,\nraging flood that destroys all defenses\u2026\u201d \u2013 the Epic of Gilgamesh\xa0\nGeorge Smith\u2019s 1872 discovery of the Mesopotamian Flood tablet won him widespread acclaim.\xa0 Four years later,\xa0his ill-timed expedition to Nineveh would end in tragedy.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices