Book launch in The British Museum?
In mid-October I went to the British Museum for two reasons.
1. I wanted to show my five-year-old son, Sargon, what his ancestors accomplished. And boy, he loved it!
2. I’m planning a book launch in the museum.
Before you freak out about the second point, there are a few obstacles. The first is that having a private event after the British Museum’s closing hours (i.e., having the entire museum to yourself) is expensive. Meaning I would have to sell tickets to fund it.
The second obstacle is that if I wanted to include private tours in the Assyrian galleries (which I obviously want), the maximum number of attendees would be 60.
I could, however, host up to 300 people, which would lower the ticket price but also rule out the private tours. And with 300 people I’m not sure the event would remain personal anymore. Also, if I wanted to serve food at the event (which I want), I’d have to serve it in the Egyptian galleries, which isn’t ideal either.
Having a private book release in The British Museum would be amazing. But maybe there’s a better way to meet you all and serve you food and drink from Table of Gods? If you have any ideas, let me know :)
Selfie in the Assyrian galleries in The British Museum. Behind me, Assyrian king Ashurbanipal performing the royal lion hunt.
Manufacturing The Royal Game of Ur
Table of Gods will come in two editions.
1. The Royal Edition = A physical copy of the book.
2. The Gods’ Edition = A physical copy of the book packaged in a gift box including The Royal Game of Ur.
The Gods’ Edition will be packaged in a clamshell box that opens like a book, and lays flat. On the bottom of the box, we’ll print the world’s oldest board game and include game pieces. I had this idea on a walk this summer, and after double-checking that you want it as much as I do (see September’s progress email), I’ve decided to make it happen.
To manufacture the game pieces, I’ve contacted 3D printers and bought several Royal Game of Ur sets. I’ve now sent some samples to a factory and will hear back from them shortly. This obviously adds more work, but it’s totally worth it.
Just imagine how you’ll feel after you’ve fed your friends and family food from ancient Mesopotamia—and then, to their surprise, bring out the world’s oldest board game. By the way, the game is highly entertaining!
Family game night on a replica of The Royal Game of Ur. The game has been dated to about 2600 BC, and was played throughout ancient Mesopotamia.
1,000,000 views on YouTube
e reached 10,000 subscribers and 1,000,000 views on YouTube this month. We’ve posted 195 short and long videos so far and aim to keep posting to educate people in ancient Assyrian food, history, and culture
Want to help me?
If you believe in what I do and want to help popularize Mesopotamian history, please tell someone who likes food and history to join the waitlist at tableofgods.com.
The more people who join the waitlist, the more books I can print, and the lower I can price each copy (you’ll be able to pre-order the book in spring 2025).
PS: “When the sun is setting outside so that you cannot even recognize the hand in front of you, go indoors!”
— Sumerian proverb