Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations, Noah's Ark, and Flood Myths | Lex Fridman Podcast #487

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See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
0:00 - Introduction
0:58 - Origins of human language
7:04 - Cuneiform
14:17 - Controversial theory about Göbekli Tepe
25:29 - How to write and speak Cuneiform
30:48 - Primitive human language
32:31 - Development of writing systems
33:25 - Decipherment of Cuneiform
45:57 - Limits of language
50:56 - Art of translation
56:06 - Gods
1:01:31 - Ghosts
1:11:19 - Ancient flood stories
1:21:26 - Noah's Ark
1:32:49 - The Royal Game of Ur
1:45:48 - British Museum
1:53:13 - Evolution of human civilization

Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/irving-finkel-transcript

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EPISODE LINKS:
Irving's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drirvingfinkel/
The Ark Before Noah (book): https://amzn.to/4j2U0DW
Irving Lectures Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYXwZvOwHjVcFUi9iEqirkXRaCUJdXGha
British Museum Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx603A6p5EJ9DVcESqQReT7QyK
British Museum Website: https://www.britishmuseum.org/
The Great Diary Project: https://thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk/

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"I don't feel grief when people die" - spoken like a true loveless atheist.

Kemet noah ark celestial boat

It's very difficult to believe that humans being on the earth for some 200-300,000 years did not think of going from ''Ug, ug'' to language and some form of writing until just 12,000 years ago... Professor Finkel is a national treasure.

we love the Jews

Guy have dug himself deep into the history of early writing. He probably have spent more hours in his research lab than in his house. He probably never had one, but lived in the libraries of the museum.

Took me two weeks to watch this. There is an OLD sci-fi story from the 1960s that I read. The world in question was always in light. Once every 5000 years the Binary star system lined up and produced an eclipse, causing total darkness for a year. The people would panic and start burning things. It would end civilization. The fortified structures that were not considered important were MUSEUMS. they would help restart civilization. Thought this was interesting then I watched as ISIS destroyed Buddhist structures and other ancient artifacts, because it did not match ISLAM. Reminded me of what Catholic Monks did in Peru and Easter Island destroying a peoples history. Sad that people can not go beyond their own beliefs. I believe the Universe is full of LIFE and that GOD has touched it all. the question is will we listen.

I would give this 1,001 likes if it were possible 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

i THNIKLE FINKLE IS A JEW SO I WOULD NOT LISTEN TO A WORD HE SAYS

Well, of course we should believe the Jews. Two Jews are telling us white people something.😂😂😂

idk who this guy lex interviewing is, but he is fascinating.

30:08 ............ Три раза посмотрел таблицу языков и сильно УДИВИЛСЯ ....... Дедушка говорит ПОЛУПРАВДУ. А где Тюркские Языки ?????????????????????? .... Тюркские языки. Это язык УРДУ в Пакистане. Это язык КАШКАЙ на берегу Персидского Залива. Это Турция и Азербайджан. Это Казахстан, Узбекистан, Туркменистан, Кыргазстан. СТАН - от латинского слова - STANIUM - что означает ОЛОВО. Самые богатые рудники ОЛОВА - это Казахстан ......... Это Республики - Тува, САХА, Кабардино-Балкария, Татарстан, Башкортостан в России ......... Это народ Долган - который живет на берегу Северного Океана ............ Сами казахи в Казахстане - это очень древние племена - Аргын, Керей, Найман, Конырат (Хун-Гират), Кипчак, Дулат, Усунь, Адай (ДАИ) и др. ............. попросите индуса произнести слово АРГЫН - он произнесёт слово АРДЖУНА.......... Далай-Лама-14 говорит, что до буддизма в Тибете была религия БОН и эту религию принес в Тибет народ НАЙМАН - более 15.000 лет назад ........... Значительную часть Евразии занимают - ТЮРКОЯЗЫЧНЫЕ НАРОДЫ ......................... и Шумерский Язык не имеет родственные языки???????? ............ Но СТРАННО........ шумеры называли себя КЕНГИР ......... и в центре Казахстана - есть две реки - Кара-Кенгир и Сары Кенгир ............. Желтый и Черный Кенгир - по цвету самородной меди ........... И СЛОВО КЕН - по казахски означает РУДА ......... а слово ГИР - значит ВХОД ............................ Желтая Самородная МЕДЬ - это Римская ЛАТУНЬ - Медь+Цинк. Блестит как золото ........... Черная Самородная МЕДЬ - это слово БАКЫР на Кавказе и Узбекистане. Из черной самородной меди в древности изготовляли казаны для плова .............
..... И самое главное - Шумерский Язык - Это аглюкативный язык. И все Тюркские языки - тоже аглюкативные языки !!!

29:12 .......... ВСЕГДА СЧИТАЛ И СЧИТАЮ - Шумерский язык - это ПРОТОТЮРКСКИЙ ЯЗЫК !!! ............ Пример - глава города - ЛУГАЛЬ ......... по казахски - ЕЛЬ-КАЛА, что означает Народ-Город .......................... ЕЛЛОХИМЫ в Торе ......... по казахски это будет - ЕЛЬ АКИМЫ. Скажите современному казаху, что означает ЕЛЬ АКИМ - он сразу поймет о ком идет речь и покажет в сторону Мэрии вашего города .................... ЛЮБЫЕ НЕПОНЯТНЫЕ И ТЕМНЫЕ МЕСТА В ТОРЕ - ЛЕГКО ПОНЯТНЫ С ПОМОЩЬЮ СОВРЕМЕННОГО КАЗАХСКОГО ЯЗЫКА .................... Современные исследователи ТОРЫ - путают два слова - АЛЛАХ и ЕЛЛОХИМЫ ............ но эти два слова легко становятся понятными с помощью казахского языка ............. АЛЛАХ - это АЛ+АК - или Принимать+БЕЛОЕ или Принимать+СВЯТОЕ ......... Потому что белый цвет в большинстве культур - это цвет святости .............. а про слово ЕЛЛОХИМЫ я написал - ВЫШЕ ..........

27:07 .......... в Английском языке есть слово - MUZEUM ......... Основатель Буддизма - Шакья-Муни .......... МУНИ - это слово МУДРЕЦ ............ в Казахском языке слово МУРАЖАЙ - это Наследие Предков ................ в Азербайджанской культуре есть песенный стиль - МУГАМ. Очень печальный стиль .............. Черчвард говорил про затонувший континент МУ в Тихом Океане .............. Казахи называют Тихий Океан - МУХИТ .............. Все Древние Цивилизации Евразии - Это наследники Континента МУ ............

Beautiful talk❤❤❤

Believe sound and symbol began with simple math numbers - I = one. II = two III = three. Then a genius worked it all out and soon developed a sound image alphabet for writing. Had to have happened very quickly and speed just as fast.

I wish this were 8 hours long

This guy's awesome 😅

Love listening to Professor Irving Finkel he is a real scholar. Not like that fool Hawass that claims to be an Egyptologist. Hawass has a panic attack any time some one mentions Gobekli Tepe. Hawass in my opinion has destroyed or sold more artifacts than anyone. I often think of the FACT that with fossils, to actually become a fossil is like winning the lottery the vast majority of living animals do NOT get to be a fossil. Just like Finkel mentions there is a vast amount of unfound tablets. There is also the idea that if they used something perishable we will have no record. I do logistics. There has to be organization to build anything which means some for of writting.

34:42 "Wut duh ya know...." Bahahahaha 👌🤌👀👂

Смотрю второй раз взахлеб. Алексей, возьмите у него еще одно интервью, это слишком интересно

Australia has cave artifacts 86000 yrs old. Implication here is there's no attempt at vocal symbols to be seen. Your guest is rock'n something here. FYI, Straya is 4.4 billion years old. Earth's first land mass. Luv ya cast Lex. 🦘

The witt, humor and intelligence of this man is absolutely incredible

¡Gracias por una entrevista tan interesante!

Ты же тоже на Ротшильда работаешь? Пиздец какой я крутой тип)

Thank u!

@13:00 this is very likely true as there was definitely trade and wars during this time in Mesopotamia. People of Indian subcontinent were trading with them during and before this time as found with Harrappan seals that have been found in Mesopotamia. Also, many wars between the then people of Iran and Mesopotamia were in wars as described in many hindu ancient texts. This proves there was a need for a common language for these groups to communicate with each other.

It's crazy how much we know but also how little

There was no evil before or racism before monotheism… yeah this guy is full of shit.

Mmm this guy has a lot of different ideas about things

The world is full of obvious things that no one ever notices.

This guy should stick to board games, all of his nonsense is pure fantasy. No complex civilizations without writing? What about American civilizations north of Mexico? Phonetic writing developing before idiographic? What about every other culture which did exactly the opposite (e.g. Egyptians, Chinese/Japanese)? An invading army burning down a city but allocating painstaking and resource-draining effort to transporting a library? When did that happen ever in human history? A slew of evidence of writing after 4th millennium BC but none (bar a single possibly decorative stone) in 5000 years since Gobekli Tepe because the materials were volatile? And no-one decided to carve at least a couple of symbols on durable material like stone or bone ever? I thought ancient people weren't stupid?