Here you’ll find a list of everyone mentioned in the podcast. Names will appear as each episode is published.
Gods
Arhanitum
goddess worshipped at Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Asalluhi
Another name for the god Marduk. Son of Ea. EPISODE 4
Bel-gashir
local god of Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Ea
God of wisdom. Associated with the fourth string of the lyre in Babylonian. Akkadian name for Enki. EPISODE 3, EPISODE 28
Enki
God of wisdom. In anti-demon magic, Marduk seeks help from his father, Enki. Sumerian name for Ea. EPISODE 4
Enlil
Chief deity of the Sumerian pantheon. Holder of the Tablet of Destinies. EPISODE 7, EPISODE 28
Gula
Goddess of healing. EPISODE 9
Haya
Husband of Nisaba. EPISODE 1
Ishum
A benevolent god. EPISODE 21
Mami
Goddess who mixes clay from the steppe with blood from a god to form the first human being. Character in Atra(m)hasis Epic. EPISODE 9
Marduk
Chief deity of the Babylonian pantheon. Deity who helped exorcists fight demons, acting as an intermediary to Ea. EPISODE 4, EPISODE 21
Ningirsu
Deity of Lagash. EPISODE 7
Ninurta
Warrior god. Son of Enlil. Defeated Anzu. EPISODE 7
Nisaba
Goddess of writing. EPISODE 1
Shamash
Sun-god. God of justice. Akkadian name of Sumerian Utu. EPISODE 1. EPISODE 10. EPISODE 16
Utu
Sun-god. God of justice. Sumerian name of Akkadian Shamash. EPISODE 10
Monsters, demons, heroes, and literary characters
alad
A demon, usually benevolent. Sumerian name of the Akkadian shedu. EPISODE 4
Anzu
Monster with an eagle’s body and a lion’s head. Personification of thunder. EPISODE 7
Ardat lili
A malevolent female demon. She was a woman who died unmarried. She visits as night, seeking male victims to act as a husband. EPISODE 4
Asag
Demon. EPISODE 4
Atrahasis
Mythical hero of the flood myth. EPISODE 4
Bull of Heaven
A mythological creature sent to punish Gilgamesh. EPISODE 28
Enkidu
Fictional wild man created as a match for Gilgamesh. EPISODE 28
Enki-mansum
“Enki has given (wisdom)”: fictional character in a Sumerian debate poem. EPISODE 2
Gilgamesh
Legendary king of Uruk. Hero of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 1, EPISODE 28
Girine-ishag
“His foot is beautiful”. Fictional scribe in a Sumerian debate poem. Shame about his hand. Or was it his behaviour that was beautiful? EPISODE 2
hallulayah
Female demon. EPISODE 21
Humbaba / Huwawa
Guardian of the cedar forest in the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 4, EPISODE 28
lama
A demon, usually benevolent. EPISODE 4
Lamashtu
A malevolent female demon. She targets pregnant women and young children. EPISODE 4
Luhushshu
A demon. EPISODE 21
Ninkuzu
“The lady is wise”. Fictional female character in Sumerian debate poem “Two Women B”. EPISODE 2
Pazuzu
A benevolent male demon. He drives off Lamashtu. Pregnant women would wear a protective amulet in the shape of his head. Pazuzu appears at the beginning of the movie The Exorcist, and is the evil demon who possesses the young girl. This is not how he was understood in ancient Iraq. EPISODE 4
Harry Potter
Fictional wizard. EPISODE 28
sebettu
“The seven”. A group of 7 chaotic demons that threaten the established order of the world. EPISODE 4
shedu
A demon, usually benevolent. Akkadian name of the Sumerian alad. EPISODE 4
udug
A demon, as well as a general name for demon. The udug is Usually malevolent, although it can be benevolent. EPISODE 4
Utnapishtim
Fictional hero of the Babylonian Flood Story. EPISODE 28
People
Ancient world
Abi-eshuh
Ruler of Babylon during the early second millennium BC. EPISODE 5
Ammi-ditana
Ruler of Babylon during the early second millennium BC. EPISODE 5
Ashurbanipal
King of Assyria in 7th century BC. EPISODE 17, EPISODE 21
Darius the Great
Ruler of the Persian “Achaemenid” empire. Reigned 522-486 BC. Under Darius, Persian rule stretched from India as far west as Eastern Europe, engulfing the ancient Middle East. EPISODE 8
Ekur-zakir
A well-known temple exorcist from Uruk. EPISODE 21
Gaumata
A magus (a member of a priestly caste) who impersonated a dead prince (called Bardiya or Smerdis) to try and claim the Persian throne in 522 BC. Defeated by Darius. EPISODE 8
Hammurabi
King of Babylon, 18th century BC. EPISODE 1. EPISODE 5. EPISODE 11. EPISODE 16, EPISODE 17
Ishtar-shum-eresh
7th century BC scribe who writes to the king of Assyria. EPISODE 21
Jonah
Biblical prophet. EPISODE 13
Nabu-zuqup-kenu
A well-known Assyrian scholar from Kalhu. EPISODE 21
Nebuchadnezzar (II)
Ruler of Babylon in 7th century BC. EPISODE 5
Ipiq-Adad (II)
King of Eshnunna. Established the kingdom as a major power. EPISODE 1
Plato
Greek philosopher. EPISODE 12
Pu’abi
Queen of Ur during the mid-third millennium BC. EPISODE 10
Samsu-iluna
Ruler of Babylon during the early second millennium BC. EPISODE 5
Sargon II
Ruler of Assyria 722-705 BC. EPISODE 14
Sargon of Akkad
Ruler of Akkad and the Akkadian empire c. 2300 BC. EPISODE 10
Sennacherib
King of Assyria. EPISODE 13
Sin-abushu
King of Eshnunna. EPISODE 1
Sin-sharra-ishkun
King of Assyria. EPISODE 13
Skunha
Scythian ruler defeated by Darius. EPISODE 8
Smerdis
Persian prince who was impersonated by the usurper, Gaumata. EPISODE 8
Modern world
Basima Jalil Abed
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Khalid al-A’dami
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Yasmin Abdel Karim
Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Mosul. EPISODE 13
Selim Adalı
Turkish assyriologist. Guest on EPISODE 16
Abdulkarim Abdullah Ahmed
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Abdel-Hadi al-Fouadi
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Qusay Kamal Al-Din Al-Ahmadi
President of the University of Mosul. EPISODE 13
Ridha al-Hashimi
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Farouk Al-Rawi
Iraqi assyriologist. EPISODE 28
Hannah Arendt
American political theorist. EPISODE 15
Abdul Majid Arfaee
Iranian assyriologist. EPISODE 8
Abdul Salam Arif
Ex-President of Iraq. EPISODE 28
Annie Attia
French ophthalmologist and assyriologist. EPISODE 17
Dia Azzawi
Iraqi artist. EPISODE 28
Zainab Bahrani
Iraqi art historian. EPISODE 28
Heather Baker
British archaeologist and assyriologist. Guest on EPISODE 23
Taha Baqir
Iraqi archaeologist and assyriologist. Former curator of the Iraq Museum. Famous as the author of an Arabic translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Excavator of Tell Harmal. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1, EPISODE 28
Gojko Barjamovic
Danish assyriologist. Guest on EPISODE 12
Gertrude Bell
British traveller, political officer. Played a key role in the British mandate administration in Iraq in 1920s. EPISODE 6
Bedri Bey
Ottoman government representative in Iraq in the late 19th century. EPISODE 16
Osman Hamdi Bey
Director of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. EPISODE 16
Dinçer Cefer
Curator in the cuneiform archive of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. EPISODE 16
Muazzez İlmiye Çığ
Author of Turkish translation of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 16
Paul Collins
British museum curator at the Ashmolean, UK. Guest on EPISODE 6
Andrea Deagon
Classicist. EPISODE 28
Rients de Boer
Dutch assyriologist. Expert on Tell Abu Antiq. Guest on EPISODE 5
Maria de Jong Ellis
American assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Richard Dumbrill
UK-based musicologist. Expert on Mesopotamian music. Guest on EPISODE 3
Teoman Duralı
Author of Turkish translation of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 16
Tiffany Earley-Spadoni
American Historian. Guest On EPISODE 34
Åse Eg
Danish designer. EPISODE 28
Karen Emmerich
Comparative literature specialist. EPISODE 28
Anmar Abdul Fadhil
Iraqi Assyriologist at the University of Baghdad. EPISODE 18
Saad Salman Fahad
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Sally Freedman
American assyriologist. EPISODE 21
Paul Garelli
French assyriologist. EPISODE 12
Mark Geller
British assyriologist. EPISODE 17
Andrew George
British assyriologist. Author of a translation of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 28
Ilgi Gerçek
Turkish assyriologist. Guest on EPISODE 16
Albrecht Goetze
German-American assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Carlos Gonçalves
Brazilian historian of science. Guest on EPISODE 11
Ariana Grande
Popular singer. EPISODE 15
Francoise Grillot-Susini
French assyriologist. EPISODE 8
Georg Friedrich Grotefend
German philologist. Famous for his work deciphering cuneiform. EPISODE 8
Selim Halaf
Director of Excavations, Iraq. EPISODE 13
Tim Harrison
Canadian archaeologist. EPISODE 13
Sophus Helle
Danish assyriologist. Guest on EPISODE 28
David Hogarth
British archaeologist. Former Keeper of the Ashmolean. EPISODE 6
Laith Majid Hussein
Iraqi assyriologist and archaeologist. Expert on Tell Harmal. Guest on EPISODE 1
Saddam Hussein
Ex-Presdient of Iraq. EPISODE 28
Ghareeb Iskander
London-based Iraqi poet. EPISODE 28
Jacob Jawdat
Iraqi assyriologist and archaeologist. Expert on Tell Abu Antiq. Guest on EPISODE 5
Enrique Jiménez
Spanish assyriologist. EPISODE 16, EPISODE 18
Jaafar Jotheri
Iraqi geo-archaeologist. EPISODE 22
Ahmed Jumaili
Iraqi assyriologist. EPISODE 13
Adel Kazem
Iraqi playwright. EPISODE 28
Leonard William King
British assyriologist. EPISODE 8
Gina Konstantopoulos
American assyriologist. Expert on demons. Guest on EPISODE 4
Fikri Kulakoğlu
Turkish archaeologist. EPISODE 12
Sevin Kutlu
Author of Turkish translation of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 16
T.E. Lawrence
“Lawrence of Arabia”. British officer, author. EPISODE 6, EPISODE 13
Seton Lloyd
British archaeologist. EPISODE 1
Sait Maden
Author of Turkish translation of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 16
Ahmad Hamid Majeed
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Florence Malbran-Labat
French assyriologist. EPISODE 8
Max Mallowan
British archaeologist. EPISODE 13
Nicolo Marchetti
Italian archaeologist. Guest on EPISODE 13
Jean-Luc Martinez
President Director of the Musée du Louvre. EPISODE 24
Paolo Matthiae
Italian archaeologist. EPISODE 13
Jana Matuszak
German assyriologist. Expert on Sumerian literature. Guest on EPISODE 2
Barry McGuire
Folk singer. Singer of 1965 protest song “on the eve of destruction”. EPISODE 13
Menshed Mutlaq Menshed
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Composer of Hamilton. EPISODE 15
Catherine Mittermayer
Swiss assyriologist. EPISODE 21
Ahmad Kamil Muhammed
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Mr. Murray
Inspirational history teacher. EPISODE 15
Hassan Nadhem
Minister of Culture, Iraq, 2020. EPISODE 13
Daniel Nicky
“Mr Nicky”. American educator and musician. Guest on EPISODE 15
Carsten Niebuhr
German scholar who worked for a Danish expedition exploring and documenting the Middle East. EPISODE 8
Edwin Norris
British assyriologist. EPISODE 8
Müge Özcan
Curator in the cuneiform archive of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. EPISODE 16
Saber Amiri Parian
Independent scholar based in Iran. Guest on EPISODE 8
Sara Pizzimenti
Italian archaeologist. EPISODE 13
Victor Place
French archaeologist, excavator of Khorsabad. EPISODE 24
Karen Radner
Austrian assyriologist. EPISODE 16
Muzaffer Ramazanoğlu
Author of Turkish translation of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 16
Qais Rashid
Former Chair of SBAH, Iraq. EPISODE 13
Hormuzd Rassam
Iraqi archaeologist. EPISODE 16
Henry Creswicke Rawlinson
British assyriologist. Famous for his work deciphering cuneiform. EPISODE 8
Rainer Marie Rilke
Austrian poet. EPISODE 28
Eleanor Robson
British historian. Professor at UCL. Director of Nahrein Network. EPISODE 6
Licia Romano
Italian archaeologist. Guest on EPISODE 10.
Elisa Roẞberger
German archaeologist. Guest on EPISODE 9.
Zaid Ghazi Saadallah
Director of Mosul museum. EPISODE 24
Mohammed Sabri
Iraqi archaeologist. EPISODE 13
Khalid Salim
Iraqi assyriologist. EPISODE 13
N.K. Sandars
British archaeologist. EPISODE 16
Jean-Vincent Scheil
French assyriologist. EPISODE 16
Michael Schmidt
Poet. EPISODE 28
Dahlia Shehata
German assyriologist. Guest on EPISODE 7.
Stephen Simmons
American assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Walid Siti
Iraqi painter. EPISODE 28
George Smith
British assyriologist famous for discovering the Flood Story, part of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 28
Morten Søndergaard
Danish poet. EPISODE 28
Michael Streck
German assyriologist. EPISODE 12
Orhan Suda
Author of Turkish translation of the Gilgamesh Epic. EPISODE 16
Amir Suleiman
Iraqi assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1, EPISODE 13
Sümeraslan
“Lion (of) Sumer”. Surname of Ilgi Gerçek’s paternal grandmother. The name was acquired by my paternal great-grandfather, Ahmet Hamdi, who belonged to the Circassian community in Egypt that was resettled in various Ottoman territories in the 19th century. The name Sümer is common among the Circassian-Turkish communities, likely due to the idea — popular in the early Republic — that various Caucasian communities were related to the “Sumerians.”). EPISODE 16
Rayyane Tabet
Contemporary Lebanese artist. EPISODE 14
Ali Hazeem Thanoon
Chief of the Mosul branch of SBAH, 2020. EPISODE 13
Reginald Campbell Thompson
British archaeologist and assyriologist. EPISODE 8, EPISODE 17
Meghan Trainor
Popular singer. EPISODE 15
Gabriel Tranchand
Photographer on the French expedition to Asssyria, 1840s. EPISODE 24
Aaron Tugendhaft
Guest on EPISODE 14
Francois Vallat
French assyriologist. EPISODE 8
Johannes (Jan) Jacobus van Dijk
Dutch assyriologist. Published texts from Tell Harmal. EPISODE 1
Franz Wiggermann
Dutch assyriologist well-known for research on supernatural creatures. EPISODE 4
Tony Wilkinson
British archaeologist. Specialist in landscape archaeology. EPISODE 5, EPISODE 22
Sir Leonard Woolley
British archaeologist. Famous as the excavator of Ur. EPISODE 12
Groups
Anatolians
Name given to the people who lived in what is now Turkey. EPISODE 12
Dani
A people in New Guinea. EPISODE 19
Judeans
People from the kingdom of Judah.
Kassites
Group based in western Iran. Ruling dynasty of Babylon in second millennium BC.
Phoenicians
Culture originating on the eastern Mediterranean coast. EPISODE 24