Differences Between Gilgamesh And Enkidu

The story of Gilgamesh relates to the foundation texts of Hebrew Cultures in that the people in both narratives were created to serve their Gods. In Gilgamesh, the characters are consistently giving offerings to their Gods in order to show their appreciation to them. In the epic no matter what Gilgamesh and Enkidu are doing they always stop and think about how they need to show their Gods their gratitude. Offerings are a common way that Gilgamesh and Enkidu show their Gods their respect and gratitude for them. The text says, “You are the offspring of Ninsun the wild cow. You grew up to fulfill the oracle of Shamash, lord of the mountains” (Norton 60). This excerpt from the epic explains that Gilgamesh was created to serve and do as the Gods

In Genesis, the characters serve their God much differently than those in the Epic of Gilgamesh. In Genesis 1 God instructs Adam and Eve to populate the earth, rule over the animals, and to eat whatever plant they wished. Adam and Eve listened to God and they served him through their unconditional love for him. That’s is another difference between the two texts. In Gilgamesh, the characters don’t express love for their Gods, only respect, but in Genesis, Adam and Eve express their love and respect for their God. Lastly, both works are similar in that the characters in both works eventually disobey and go against their Gods. In the epic, Gilgamesh kills Humbaba to challenge the Gods. His act of going against them is his way of proving that the Gods rules are not unbreakable and that no one has true power over him. In Genesis, Adam and Eve eventually go against God by eating from the tree at the center of the Garden of Eden. The difference in the characters from each text’s act of rebellion is that Gilgamesh did it to spite his Gods, and Adam and Eve did it out of curiosity and loyalty to one