Module III·Article III·~1 min read
Middle Eastern Mythologies: Gilgamesh, Enuma Elish, and Origins
Eastern Mythologies
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The Oldest Stories in the World
The “Epic of Gilgamesh” (circa 2100 BC) is the oldest surviving literary text in the world. Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, two-thirds god, one-third human, seeks immortality after the death of his friend Enkidu. He finds the plant of eternal youth—and a snake steals it. The lesson: mortality is inevitable; seek meaning in deeds and relationships.
The “Epic” contains a flood story—strikingly similar to the biblical one. Utnapishtim escapes on a ship with all the animals. Scholars debate: is this one story spread through cultural exchange, or independent descriptions of a real event?
Enuma Elish and Biblical Parallels
“Enuma Elish” (Sumerian/Babylonian epic about the creation of the world) has remarkable parallels with the Book of Genesis: primordial chaos, separation of waters, creation of people from clay. This does not mean that the Bible is “copied”—but that the biblical authors worked within the cultural space of the Middle East and engaged in dialogue with its mythologies.
Question for reflection: Gilgamesh seeks immortality and does not find it. What “false goals” have you pursued in the past? What has loss helped you reconsider?
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