Centuries ago, two books were written with similar and different ideas. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Book of Job have different settings although they both discuss friendship, death and mortality, pain and suffering, and characters, but individually the book of Job examines where human beings stand in the world. The Epic of Gilgameshis thought to have been orally recited in the late third millennium B.C.E in Sumer. Gilgameshis a semi historical, two- thirds god and one-third man, ruler of the city of Uruk in Sumer in the region of Mesopotamia approximately in 2800 B.C.E (19). The book of job takes place in Uz around the 530’s B.C.E (34). The Epic of Gilgamesh and the book of job both have similar and different characters. They both have important gods although in the book of job there is only one god. In the book of job the only god is Yahweh. He is the all knowing and the creator of the universe. In the Epic of Gilgamesh there are many gods and goddesses including the most mentioned one; Ishtar. Ishtar is the goddess of love, fertility, and war. Job is the main character in the book of job, he questions god, and he creates the plot by obeying and then disobeying god. The friend of job come to show sympathy for job and Enkidu is the reason for the change of man in Gilgamesh. Both stories have a villain, in the book of Job it is Satan and in the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is Ishtar in the beginning for killing Enkidu and then it is the serpent for taking the plants away from Gilgamesh. Both the Epic of Gilgamesh and the book of job have friendship in common. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Gilgamesh have a very strong and unbreakable friendship. Gilgamesh turns away from the affection of the Goddess Ishtar for his platoni... ... middle of paper ... ...n the world. Job questions what god is really doing for him. Then god talks to job in question form about the creation of the earth. This shows that jobs is very small compared to god, so small that he cannot even being to understand some of the the things god is telling him. Chapter 38 proves to job that humans are far below the power of god then in chapter 42 job quickly shames himself for the previous things he said. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the book of job are similar because they both share themes characters and setting. These two books differ because the book of job because it has a major theme that discusses where humans stand in the world. Works Cited Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. 6th ed. Bk. 1. Boston: McGraw, 2011. Print. “From the Epic of Gilgamesh.” Fiero 19-23. “From the Hebrew Bible: The Book of Job.” Fiero 34-36.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem dating from the Third Dynasty of Ur. From the ancient Mesopotamia, the poem is set where modern day Iraq is today. Composed of five Sumerian poems about Bilgamesh, which is Sumerian for Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is two parts God and one part Man who is a hero. Gilgamesh encounters many challenges and situations during The Epic of Gilgamesh that cause him to evolve into a better king. Consequential, Gilgamesh recommences his position in Urk and evolves as an improved king.
Heidel, Alexander. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949.
In The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Book of Mark, both written by unknown authors, Gilgamesh and Jesus are similarly unstable throughout all aspects of their lives. Gilgamesh and Jesus share the similar personality trait of arrogance. They are very full of themselves and their actions reflect this. A second similarity is Gilgamesh and Jesus face a lot of problems with impulse control. A third similarity of unstableness is Gilgamesh and Jesus are always in need of a companion to help boost their egos. Gilgamesh and Jesus share the many traits of an unstable person.
Gilgamesh is not only a character of a story; he is actually a portrayal of people and how they act out of human nature. He, like many of us, does not want his existence to end when he leaves this world. He is not content with what he has, good looks, money, and power, and desires more in life. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story that we, as people, can relate to. There are similarities between Gilgamesh’s journey and our own journey through life. Some of the texts that will be compared with The Epic of Gilgamesh, are the Bible, and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The characters of these stories are all have that burning desire to be successful in life, which we can relate to. These texts span across different time periods and societies illustrating how human nature, particularly the desire to obtain more than one possesses, plays a significant role throughout written and present human history.
Both in greek mythology Hercules and Gilgamesh experience similar burnedens in their stories, although both are only half God they are well respected in their societies. Both of the societies reflected in their stories are similar not just to each other but also to society that existed in the time period in which they were written. Even though the societies reflect the society of ancient Greece they of course have major differences. Women, men, gods, goddesses, death, and loyalty are all valued differently not so much in the stories when compared to each other but differ from how they are valued in ancient greek society.
The story of Gilgamesh is based on a historical king with the same name who lived in the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk in what is present-day southern Iraq around 2700 BCE. He is described throughout the story as more than a man and less than a God, which can be defined as a demigod.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus are two heroes from two different time periods that were both in search of the meaning of life. The epics that the two characters are featured in Gilgamesh, was developed from early Mesopotamia and the Odyssey in early Greece. Gilgamesh was a very popular and it was very valuable to the historian of Mesopotamian culture because it reveals much about the religious world, such as their attitudes toward the gods, how a hero was defined and regarded, views about death and friendship.
Located in the city of Uruk in Sumeria, the epic of Gilgamesh was an old describing king Gilgamesh’s reign around 26000 B.C.E. By oral tradition, the story was passed down through generations. In 750 B.C.E, finally written in cuneiform, the story talked about the monarchial government structure within an urbanized city. Many gods were worshipped in temples in this well-recognized polytheistic city. In order to protect its enemies during times of war and citizens from attacks, Uruk also had walls surrounding the city. As their main sources of crop, the society survived on wheat and grain agriculture. Known as the Fertile Crescent, the land was productive and fertile at that time. Due to the overall leadership that king Gilgamesh offered, the city did well for itself.
Gilgamesh, The Epic of. Vol. A. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner, et al. 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2012. 95-150. Print.
A good number of people know the famous story of the Genesis flood, but do they know how it resembles to the Gilgamesh flood story? It is mind bending how the main stories are so alike. The main theme is the biggest similarity between the two. They also differ greatly in the smaller details in the events that take place. In both stories the number of days for events are different, but the same basic event takes place. Along with many other similarities and differences. The stories are very much the same, but when comparing the details within they are very different.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story that revolves around the companionship between the two heroes, Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Gilgamesh is a semi-god who is also the king of Uruk. As he has no equal, his power leads him to become corrupt. He becomes a greedy and cruel king who takes what he pleases without care. The gods set out to create an equally impressive man that could balance and counter Gilgamesh’s power. They created Enkidu, a wild man made of clay. At first they fought, but then they became inseparable friends. Gilgamesh and Enkidu would go onto to have adventures in which they would test their limits and brave the terrors of Ancient Mesopotamia. Throughout the Epic of Gilgamesh, the influence of women on Gilgamesh and Enkidu was visible,
The relationship between the gods and humanity in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are the same. In each saga, the gods seem to live nearby and are always present. Both epic poems portray humans as simply at the mercy of the gods. The gods feel that it is their duty to intervene if they feel that man is traveling off course from his destiny. However, the gods are not all powerful.
In the epic of Gilgamesh the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is very complex and necessary. Their friendship brings animal, human, and god together. Gilgamesh is changed by his friendship with Enkidu. He becomes a better person and a better ruler because of Enkidu. Enkidu’s life is enriched because of his friendship with Gilgamesh. Enkidu was created to balance out Gilgamesh, and he accomplishes this goal. The two men are very close, and love each other deeply. Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu benefit from their friendship.
Although there are differences between this ancient culture and ours, one similar idea found in the story is that of the worship of deity. There are many gods represented in the story of Gilgamesh. This reflects the tendency of the people of that time to cling to religious ideals to explain the unknown.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a moving tale of the friendship between Gilgamesh, the demigod king of Uruk, and the wild man Enkidu. Accepting ones own mortality is the overarching theme of the epic as Gilgamesh and Enkidu find their highest purpose in the pursuit of eternal life.