Epic of Gilgamesh and The Bible, Wisdom and Suffering
When children ask for privileges, adults try to impress upon them the responsibilities that come along with these privileges and the associated freedoms. This is a difficult lesson to learn, and is often learned through trial and error. This relationship of privileges and responsibility is much like that of wisdom and suffering; although privileges and wisdom are great tools, they carry with them many responsibilities, and the possibility of suffering. Such relations are extremely clear in both The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Bible. This paper will discuss the general theme of these books as well as related philosophical questions to help the reader acquire an understanding of the relationship between wisdom and sufferingIn The Bible, God creates Adam and Eve to till and watch over the beautiful land that he has created. In return for their obedience, he grants them everlasting life, fruit, and companionship. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the goddess Aruru creates a wild creature named Enkidu to rival the great king Gilgamesh. In both cases, the people are created innocent, with no knowledge of complicated questions and issues, such as sexuality, that plague humanity. Their loss of innocence comes in tandem with a gain in knowledge.
Although the fall of Adam and Eve is different from that of Enkidu, there are distinct similarities between the two. The problem in The Bible begins with God's lack of explanation of his prohibitions and laws. (The Bible, Genesis 2:16-17) Adam and Eve do not obey God because they choose to or because they understand his will, but rather because doing so provides rewards, as previously mentioned. When the snakes tempts them to eat of the forbidden Tree of Knowledge (The Bible, Genesis 3:1-6), they cannot resist temptation because they do not understand the logic behind the prohibition. What does a loss of innocence entail for Enkidu, Adam, and Eve? The aspects of their lives that change are remarkably similar in both cases. Adam and Eve become aware of good, evil, and their sexuality, as shown by conflicting passages before and after the fall. Before the fall, they stated, "And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed." (The Bible, Genesis 2:25) After the fall, "the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked." (The Bible, Genesis 3:7) They also learn shame and fear, as detailed by the following passage: As soon as they are created, God tells Adam and Eve that if they eat of the Tree of Knowledge they will die. (The Bible, Genesis 2:17) Does his prohibition actually induce Adam and Eve to eat of the tree? Using the analogy of a child and his parents again will put this into perspective. When the parent tells a child not to play in the road, for example, the child will contradict the rules to see what will happen. The child is testing the limits of an authoritative figure. Adam and Eve have tried the same approach to the laws of God. The life of Enkidu, too, is changed remarkably. He becomes aware of his sexuality during his fall, as the harlot seduces him. (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 64-65) Consequently, he develops the attributes of a human. He longs for a female comrade (specifically the harlot), to talk to. He leaves his animal inhibitions behind, and learns hu
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Approximate Word count = 1360
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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