I saw this late last night, and began to read it but quickly figured out I needed a fresh and well-slept brain to enjoy it. I'm so glad that I did.

I've often wondered about the pursuit of eternal life, and always ended up thinking that there was a bit of narcissism behind the whole idea. Personally, I wouldn't want to live forever, and I certainly don't have any grandiose ideas that the world would be a better place if I did. Why do you think all of these people wanted eternal life? That's a real question, not a rhetoric one by the way :)

Perhaps my answer will be found in part 2. I'm one of the few perhaps here with a long attention span, and I was entrenched in your post without needing to move on to a second post, but I know, unfortunately, that many didn't even make it to the end of this one. That's a sad thought now, isn't it?

I have to ask (and you certainly don't have to answer), but you are so knowledgeable and I wonder if you research all of this, or do you have some kind of background in history or ancient civilizations? Just curious that's all :)