Literature!

I'm really into literature, and recently I did a study on the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Chaldean creation and flood legend that Daniel and his friends would have studied under Nebuchadnezzar.

This legend is an example of epic poetry starring Gilgamesh as its epic hero. An epic hero embodies or represents the highest ideals and values of his culture, and performs grand, amazing deeds, often seeming 'larger than life'.

So, its pretty important from the Babylonian point of view, and I know a fair bit about it. I've also written an assignment on it which I can attach if you wish (the assignment is a letter from Meshach to Nebuchadnezzar about the epic). I won't make this post awfully long as I don't know exactly what you'd like. Would you prefer to read the book (which is actually really short and available from online bookstores)? Or for me to give you an overview? Or both? Or maybe read and then discuss?

On statues or most kinds of art:
A beard on a man (whether they had one in real life of not) as added in as a sign of wisdom. (ex. I believe it's a statue of Marcus Aurelius that shows him on a horse and having a beard when in real life, he had no such beard. It as merely added to signify his supposed wisdom)
Wings on any person or animal claim some sort of spiritual power or protection. (ex. the winged, lion statues of Nebuchadnezzar have wings to signify how he as protected by the gods as a warning to his enemies and an encouragement to his people)
Partial animal body (or animal with a human head) was use to show the strength of a ruler. (ex. again, the winged, lion statue signifies how powerful of a king Nebuchadnezzar was)

(Ooo! There was also a somewhat cool explanation about the ovens Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into... Did you realize when they were heated up seven times hotter than normal, they were burning at approximately 21,000 degrees?! (they normally burned at around 3,000 degrees to bake and glaze bricks)

:book: I would definitely like to see your assignment, Flavia! I have a friend who has a book on the epic of Gilgamesh, but I have not read it yet.