Map by B.J. Corbin 2019

Cedar Forest 

The story of the "Cedar" Forest is detailed in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablets 4-6. Gilgamesh and his companion, Enkidu, enter the Cedar Forest to cut down the ERIN-trees, commonly identified with cedar trees. The forest is guarded by Humbaba.

Later versions of the account place the Cedar Forest in Lebanon, but earlier Sumerian texts place the Cedar Forest east of Uruk, six days from the Euphrates River and just beyond the seventh mountain. This Zagros Mountains location fits with my premise and identification of the SEVEN MOUNTAINS TO ARATTA route. See map below showing proposed location of the Cedar (ERIN) Forest mentioned in the epic. Although ERIN is often used to describe cedar trees, it is likely they were J. exelsa (Persian juniper) trees. This proposed location of the "Cedar" Forest is consistent with other key landmarks on the way from Uruk to Aratta.​