This interview-style podcast episode explores the surprisingly well-preserved library of Ashurbanipal, the Assyrian king. The episode begins by highlighting the scarcity of everyday life documents from ancient civilizations, then introduces the discovery of tens of thousands of clay tablets in Nineveh, revealing details of Assyrian court life and the surprisingly neurotic personality of King Esarhaddon. The podcast then shifts to Ashurbanipal, who expanded the archive into a vast library containing literature, historical records, and even his own poetry expressing anxieties and suicidal thoughts. The episode concludes by discussing the accidental preservation of the library due to the city's destruction by fire, which baked the clay tablets, ensuring their survival for millennia. A key takeaway is the unexpected insight into the daily lives and inner thoughts of ancient rulers, contrasting their public image with their private struggles.
