Historical Context Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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The fantastic story of The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the world’s oldest known documents to ever have been written down. Its main character is that of a human-like god, named Gilgamesh, who goes on the greatest journey of his life. With help from the gods along the way, he battles and faces many challenges that are new and exhilarating to his normally posh lifestyle. The Historical context of The Epic of Gilgamesh dates all the way back to around 2000 BCE. This story was written down by a society of people that dwelled in old Mesopotamia, called the Sumerians. This area is located in what is now the Middle East, or Iraq. Around this time, the Sumerians lived in Uruk. This ancient city was located in what was called the fertile crescent. …show more content…
But a tapper spotted him one day while he was out drinking at a watering hole. Struck with fear, the trapper went to Gilgamesh and asked for a harlot to seduce the wild man and bring him to civilization. This plan was successful in that the once wild Enkidu was humanized and forgotten by his animal brethren. The harlot then brought him to Uruk, where he faced his equal for the first time. Enkidu challenges Gilgamesh after learning of the selfish indulgences that he partook on his people saying that he has “come to change the old order, for I am [he is] the strongest here” (68). They grappled like animals, breaking things as they fought. In the end, Gilgamesh threw Enkidu and won the battle. Even though they fought, they gained a mutual respect for each other after having faced someone so like themselves. This was the beginning of their brotherhood-like friendship. Gilgamesh and Enkidu were just two of the human-like gods that were portrayed in the Epic of Gilgamesh. However, there are many other gods that are mentioned in this story. The gods such as, Shamash, Adad, Ninsun, and more, are all depicted of those who are all knowers and the highest power possessors. They are the creators, helpers, and comprehenders to the Sumerian people of ancient Mesopotamia and in this

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