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What Was the First Book Ever Written?
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Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh Part of the Gilgamesh epic is recorded on a cuneiform tablet from the 7th century bc. The tablet is in the British Museum in London.

What Was the First Book Ever Written?

Learn about the earliest surviving literature.
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Written by
Adam Zeidan
Adam Zeidan is an Assistant Managing Editor, having joined Encyclopædia Britannica in 2018. He covers a range of topics related primarily to the Middle East and North Africa.
Adam Zeidan
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The earliest surviving written literature is from ancient Mesopotamia. The Epic of Gilgamesh is often cited as the first great composition, although some shorter compositions have survived that are even earlier (notably the “Kesh Temple Hymn” and “The Instructions of Shuruppak”). Apart from its length, the Epic of Gilgamesh may be considered the earliest significant composition because of its enduring impact on literature through the ages. It is believed to have influenced other ancient literary works, including the Iliad, the Odyssey, Alexander romance literature, and the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), all of which continue to have significant literary impact in their own right.

Adam Zeidan