Irving Finkel

Irving Finkel is the senior curator responsible for the cuneiform tablet collection in the Department of the Middle East at the British Museum. He is a specialist in medical and magical works in Akkadian and particularly interested in esoteric inscriptions that concern ancient thought and speculation. He has been responsible for exhibitions inside and outside the museum, including Asian Games: The Art of Conquest (Asia Society New York, 2004) and Babylon: Myth and Reality (British Museum, 2008). He is the author of books for adults and children, including the bestselling The Ark Before Noah, matched by The Lifeboat that Saved the World. He is a world expert on ancient games and Founder of the Great Diary Project.