The Magic of Ancient Games | Dr. Irving Finkel

I love how Dr Finkle looks like he's talking to us from his basement with a single swinging light bulb illuminating his face. He's the best! <3

Dr. Finkel's enthusiasm is contagious!

Dr. Irving Finkel = Planetary Treasure!

Irving Finkel is the David Attenborough of history

When I was a undergraduate I once had a job helping a folklorist catalog her collection…it left me addicted to folklore and the cultures which produce it, including their games…really everything.

As a school teacher myself, I found it fascinating to see how teachers in ancient times used games in the class, as we still do today.

What he doesn't say, is that it was him that found and translated the tablet that explained the rules.

Dr. Finkel, please make more presentations like this! I love the Sumerian and Akkadian studies. I could listen to anything and everything about them all day!

I'm going to listen to this at work, today is going to be a good day.

This was again wonderful. I could listen to Dr. Finkel for hours on end, thank you so much!

Sumerian is really interesting. Za-na, is an action and a word. Obvious transcription- a something a game host would say to a potential participant who is walking by the curious looking game / volunteered to play. Za-na - Za - meaning “for” , na - meaning “the act of giving” a something is said when handing over an object to someone. Ex: if you are hosting a game at some point you would say Za-na as you would try to hand a game piece to a potential player. next action word e-za-na e - meaning “and”. za na - again referring to a position of power the player would represent if they would only accept the piece and play a set. The female player action words are also very interesting, it sounds current when pronounced. Thank you for converting Sumerian to English letters!

'Someone's Witch'... 'Screamers'... I get the feeling that some of these games would have been terribly brutal but also such fun.

Love that Irving is always completely present when he's talking with someone. Maybe that's why he's so magnetic :]

Clicked on this very fast !! Always is a joy to learn from him

I missed the live stream! I watched Tom Scott playing the game of Ur with Irving.

Thank you Dr. Finkel for your life's work that helps us engage with the people of the past. So much connectivity and continuity with past times.

I can always listen to Dr. Finkle. What an intelligent oddball !

We love Irving (Master mind) Finkel!! 🙌🏼 I must add, and I was waiting for Senet to be mentioned, it was a game that settled disputes. It was a game that brought to life the true telling and wager of who was guided in highest by the guardians and deities. So although anybody could play it on their “free time”, it was greatly to settle matters of disagreement. Who has the higher guided hand/head/mind. From the emotions that cause us to feel intensely and irrationally to the accepting of where they stand, played out and done with, no further animosity. To Honor the game and the players winning or not. And on a much larger scale it is the game of life, who should ascend, risen and aware of the supernatural realities, grasping the scepter, living dying and living again to play the game. As Egypt was the place to be for student and masters, disciplines and soul missions, “the calling”. 🙏🏼💫

It's incredible that we still use the exact symbols for doors today as we did thousands of years ago. I've always drawn those lines for doors and never had any clue how old it was as a symbol.

I absolutely love Dr. Finkle s work! Beyond his jokes (which are genuinely funny) and his Father Christmas look, he is an extraordinary scholar!