The 'Epic of Gilgamesh' is the oldest known piece of great literature, dating back to roughly 2100 BCE. Written in cuneiform on clay tablets, it tells the story of the King of Uruk and his quest for immortality. The epic includes a Great Flood story that predates the biblical account by over a thousand years. It was lost to history for centuries until the tablets were rediscovered in the mid-19th century in the ruins of the Library of Ashurbanipal. The story’s themes—friendship, the fear of death, and the search for meaning—remain deeply relevant, proving that the human condition hasn't changed much in four millennia.