The King Who Refused to Die

Earth Chronicles #7.65

by Zecharia Sitchin

Zecharia Sitchin’s secret allegorical novel that brings to life the key concepts of his bestselling book The 12th Planet

• Reimagines the Epic of Gilgamesh in the context of Sitchin’s discoveries

• Details ancient Sumerian sex rituals, the Anunnaki lineage of the gods who lived in Sumer, Anunnaki spacecraft technology, the workings of the Oracle of Anu, and Gilgamesh’s relationship with the goddess Ishtar

Written in secret so as not to incite criticism about his controversial discoveries, this novel from the late Zecharia Sitchin brings to life the key themes of his bestseller The 12th Planet. The story begins in London as Astra arrives at the British Museum’s opening for their new Gilgamesh exhibit. There she meets a handsome stranger who knows secrets about her that no stranger should know, including the source of the unusual scar on her hand. Taking her to his apartment, he reveals that she is descended from the goddess Ishtar and that he is the modern-day avatar of Gilgamesh seeking to claim the eternal life Ishtar denied him so long ago. Reenacting their sacred sex ritual from eons ago, they find themselves transported to ancient Sumer as Gilgamesh and Ishtar, where he is at last able to continue his quest for immortality.

But as Gilgamesh fulfills his sacred duties with Ishtar, something goes awry and the Oracle of Anu will not renew its blessing upon his kingship. Following the direction of his mother, the Anunnaki goddess Ninsun--the source of his partial divinity--Gilgamesh flees the city for the Anunnaki forbidden zone in search of a way to the planet Nibiru and eternal life. Travel alongside Gilgamesh and his immortal companion Enkidu as they escape the fate pronounced by the oracle, discover a Tablet of Destiny meant for Ishtar, fight off Marduk’s raiders, and foil the plot of the high priest, Gilgamesh’s half-brother who is seeking Gilgamesh’s crown for himself.

Retelling the Epic of Gilgamesh in the context of his discoveries about the Anunnaki, Zecharia Sitchin weaves a tale of ancient ceremony, accidental betrayal, gods among men, interplanetary travel, and a quest for immortality spanning millennia.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Paranormal

250 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2013

About the author

Sitchin was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, and was raised in Palestine. He acquired knowledge of modern and ancient Hebrew, other Semitic and European languages, the Torah, and the history and archeology of the Near East.
He was one of the few scholars able to read and interpret ancient Sumerian and Akkadian clay tablets.

Sitchin graduated from the London School of Economics, University of London, majoring in economic history.

A journalist and editor in Israel for many years. His books have been widely translated, converted to braille for the blind, and featured on radio and television.

Reviews

[Nadine May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zecharia Sitchin's only novel: The King Who Refused to Die reads like an adventure tale. This novel, was not written by Zecharia Sitchin (as it clearly states in the preface)
Therefore this novel is not a mind opener but more of a whimsical telling of one of the most ancient tales of all written history of King Gilgamesh's search for immortality.

The novels start with a today setting of two people who are the incarnations of Ishtar the Queen of heaven and of King Gilgamesh her lover.

While "Gilgamesh fulfils his sacred duties with Ishtar, something goes awry and the Oracle of Anu will not renew its blessing upon his kingship. The Anunnaki goddess Ninsun, his mother who is the source of his partial divinity helps him to flee the city in order to search for the Anunnaki forbidden zone in order to find a way back to the planet Nibiru so his life would become eternal. Gilgamesh's journeys are steeped in magic.

It’s an easy read and I finished it in two evenings. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who is interested in Sitchin's works or Sumerian literature.

[Brad Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love Sitchin! He has uncovered secrets that have been lost to time and hidden by man. Spot on in his theories and presented in a scholarly format. R.I.P. Sitchin, you are correct sir! May we all strive to pick up your torch and carry on the work you have begun to uncover.

[Ellis Hubbard PhDad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted it to continue! It took an ancient true tale and took me wholeheartedly to that era and immersed me in the story.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Zecharia Sitchin's only novel. I presume it was intended to read like a swashbuckling adventure tale. But, I'm not sure this was written by Zecharia Sitchin (as stated in the preface). It's written in such a different way from his non-fiction work, it may have been authored by a ghost-writer focused on telling a tale.
It is a whimsical retelling of an ancient tale about how King Gilgamesh's refused to die. Sadly, it has limited POV, thus denying the reader the opportunity to travel deep in the MC's head as the journey unfolds.
It's not the best fictional story you will ever read but it does offer a low entry point into the world of Zecharia Sitchin who devoted many years of his life to answering the age-old question of why mankind exists. For that, I recommend the author's non-fiction work as an eye-opener that brings science and religion together to offer an answer. A natural follow on question might be, Are we really debris of the Gods?

[Umut Çalışan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yazarın 12. Gezegen isimli kitabının ardından, uzunca bir uğraş sonucu edindiğim kitap bence tam bir hayal kırıklığı. Yazar ölümsüzlüğü arayan Gılgamış'ın destanını bu kez araştırma-belgesel tarzı bir anlatım tekniği yerine roman gibi kurgulayarak aktarmaya çalışmışsa da olmamış. Araştırmacılık başka, yazarlık başka şeyler. Ayrıca Omega Yayınlarının özensiz baskısı da cabası. Romanın hiçbir yerine dipnot konmamışken, sonuna olmayan dipnotların açıklamaları verilmiş. Şaka gibi.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough to get through.

[Leggere A Colori · Rating 3 out of 5]

L’impronta che Sitchin lascia tra le pagine di questo libro è molto forte. Riconosciuto come uno dei maggiori esponenti dell’archeologia misterica, il suo contributo ci lascia non solo un romanzo avvincente ma anche il privilegio di ricostruire una vicenda mitologica attraverso l’esperienza e l’immaginazione di una delle fonti più autorevoli e allo stesso tempo discusse del panorama archeologico mondiale.

Continua a leggere su http://www.leggereacolori.com/letti-e...

[Víctor Gutiérrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es complicado identificar un estilo literario, cuando se lee en inglés. Así que no puedo determinar si este libro es de la autoría de Sitchin, o no. El libro es bueno, sin llegar a ser excelente, deja mucho que desear respecto de la expectativa que se tenía de este gran autor. El 1er y último capítulos, bien pudo ahorrarselos porque no tenían nada que ver con la historia. Pero me quedo con lo demás, la historia de Gilgamesh es muy buena y siempre interesante.

[Trey Nowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took awhile for me to get good, but the story of Enkidu and Gilgamesh was very epic. I liked the story retold but the story about Astra and Gilgamesh reincarnated was not really keeping my interest. Picked up in the second half though which was nicely detailed.

[Joshua Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The earth chronicles was a fun series of books. I do enjoy opening my mind to new ways of looking at things, history.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gli eredi di Sitchin hanno trovato,tra vari documenti dattilo scritti, le bozze di questo libro. Esso è una fusione di contemporaneità e passato; un romanzo che non ha nulla dell' impostazione dei precedenti libri dell'autore. Consigliato se si cerca un libro per passare qualche ora piacevole.