The Historical Impact of "Gilgamesh"

Gilagamesh, the oldest known manuscript, tells the story of Gilgamesh, an ancient Sumerian king who unwittingly embarks on a quest for self-discovery. Through a narrative that describes the trials of this selfish and unhappy man, the author demonstrates the fatuity of human nature and the evolution of a healthier outlook on life. The story contains many of the profound and now cliché truths found in later important documents, such as the Bible, and is an amazing tribute to the similarities we have with these ancient ancestors.

The author of Gilgamesh is unknown. The epic is dated back to nearly 3000 B.C., but scholars believe it could have existed much earlier through an oral tradition. Tablets of the epic found throughout Mesopotamia and in parts of Anatolia held only portions of the story and were written in different languages, which suggests that the epic was certainly not composed in one piece but was added to by various tellers. In a way, all of past mankind created this story. It's basic idea and emotions are to be found in almost every literary work that has come after it.

At the opening of the epic, Gilgamesh is all that man hates about himself in human form. He lives in his own indulgent world. To cater to his hunger for power over others, he coerces his people into hard physical labor only to destroy their work when they are finished and find more for them to do. He lusts after the wives of others, and demands to lay with them before the rightful husbands. There is much about the darker side of humanity to be seen in Gilgamesh in the beginning.

In contrast, a man named Enkidu runs amongst the animals, free from the corruption of mankind and in touch with a higher sense of being. Gilgamesh learns of this...

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... source of the Bible's contents.

Regardless of the literature that has been copied from or coincidentally been similar to the Gilgamesh, the incredible insight in to the roots of our existence forces the reader to inquire into their own experiences and goals. There is much to be learned from this ancient struggle with the soul and gradual acceptance of the cards that have been dealt, so to speak. If past humanity encountered the same obstacles with their souls as present people do, then what can this tell the world about future societies? The longevity of the Gilgamesh is testament to the recurrence and importance of these very same problems throughout history, and because mistakes tend to be repeated, there is no better way to avoid and learn from mistakes than to read about the past.

Work Cited

Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin Books, 1970.