terravelLebanon · Asia
Cedars of God
Ancient cedars stand sentinel in a sacred Lebanese valley, their roots reaching back to humanity's oldest stories.
Why Cedars of God stands out
High in the Kadisha Valley of Bsharre, Lebanon, the Cedars of God are living remnants of vast forests that once blanketed Mount Lebanon. These venerable trees have witnessed millennia of reverence—Christian monks in nearby monasteries cherished them as sacred, their presence a constant spiritual anchor across centuries of change.
The geography and story of Cedars of God
The Cedars of God's lineage stretches into prehistory itself. They appear in Tablets 4–6 of the Epic of Gilgamesh, humanity's oldest known literary work, where travelers and scholars have long recognized them as the very cedars celebrated in this ancient Mesopotamian epic.
The Cedars of God are referenced in the Epic of Gilgamesh, making them perhaps the oldest named trees in all of literature.
Cedars of God at a glance
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Test yourself
Which ancient forest is named in humanity's oldest known epic poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh?
The Cedars of God in Lebanon are referenced in Tablets 4–6 of the Epic of Gilgamesh, making them the oldest named trees in literature and a direct connection to this ancient Mesopotamian work.
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