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Dr. Irving Finkel on Lex Fridman: Why Writing Predates Sumer

How a Gobekli Tepe seal (~9000 BC) points to writing before Sumer; Finkel argues Nineveh tablets are leftover duplicates, not the lost cuneiform library.

Lex FridmanhostIrving Finkelguest
Dec 12, 20252h 5mWatch on YouTube ↗

CHAPTERS

  1. 0:00 – 0:58

    Introduction

  2. 0:58 – 7:04

    Origins of human language

  3. 7:04 – 14:17

    Cuneiform

  4. 14:17 – 25:29

    Controversial theory about Göbekli Tepe

  5. 25:29 – 30:48

    How to write and speak Cuneiform

  6. 30:48 – 32:31

    Primitive human language

  7. 32:31 – 33:25

    Development of writing systems

  8. 33:25 – 45:57

    Decipherment of Cuneiform

  9. 45:57 – 50:56

    Limits of language

  10. 50:56 – 56:06

    Art of translation

  11. 56:06 – 1:01:31

    Gods

  12. 1:01:31 – 1:11:19

    Ghosts

  13. 1:11:19 – 1:21:26

    Ancient flood stories

  14. 1:21:26 – 1:32:49

    Noah's Ark

  15. 1:32:49 – 1:45:48

    The Royal Game of Ur

  16. 1:45:48 – 1:53:13

    British Museum

  17. 1:53:13 – 2:05:12

    Evolution of human civilization

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