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

tell him. This is similar to The Book of Genesis in that both of the characters in each text were created by Gods to serve Gods. The Book of Genesis explains that God’s idea of being served by humans is much different from that of the Gods in Gilgamesh, but in both stories the characters were created to serve them. In Genesis, there is only one God instead of there being multiple like in Gilgamesh. The characters in Genesis, Adam and Eve, were created “in God’s image” (Genesis), and in a way, the characters in Gilgamesh were too. The epic doesn’t explicitly state that the characters were, but Gilgamesh is two-thirds God and therefore created from the image of another God.

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

another. Both acts show the characters going against who they were created to serve, but for different reasons and in different ways. The story of Gilgamesh is related to The Book of Genesis in that the characters in each text were created to serve their Gods. (498 words)