The Epic of Gilgamesh The Story of the Flood

Vocabulary ballast: n. Anything heavy carried on a ship to give stability heralds: n. A person who comes before to announce what follows. livid: adj. Black-and-blue; pale, white, or red. travail: n. Toil; intense pain. consigned: v. Handed over; gave up sluices: n. Channels or passages for water, regulated by a gate.

Objectives To understand the quest for immortality To understand the hero and his quest To infer the purpose of the flood story To appreciate an Akkadian pun To compare and contrast heroes

Theme of Immortality The quest for immortality is an important theme in world literature. Immortality can be regarded as life that literally continues forever. Enkidu dies and greatly saddened by his death, Gilgamesh goes on a quest for immortality.

The Death of Enkidu This is the critical event in the Babylonian Epic. Gilgamesh was guilty of a major offense against Enlil and Inanna but because he fell under the protection of Utu he could not be killed. Enkidu, though innocent of any capital offense, was doomed to die by the Gods. He gradually wasted away. After his death Gilgamesh a Vision of the Underworld in which Enkidu the dreary existence of the dead. Gilgamesh was horrified by watching his friend die and by his subsequent vision. The event forced Gilgamesh to evaluate his own situation and to realize he must face his own mortality.

The Search for Immortality Gilgamesh had heard that one man and his wife had achieved ever-lasting life. He also knew that they currently lived on the island of Dilmun - the home and playground of the Gods. Dilmun lay at the point where the Sun rose each day. Gilgamesh undertook a difficult journey to the Garden of Dilmun. To get there he journeyed to the mouth of the cavern which ran under the Earth from the place where the Sun set in the west to the point where it rose in the east.

The Search for Immortality The tunnel was inhabited by dangerous Scorpion men but Gilgamesh fought his way through and emerged near the sea in which Dilmun lay. There he encountered the barmaid, Siduri. These two encounters add nothing to the essence of the story, but apparently resonated with the Mesopotamians who listened to the Epic. [few could read but all could listen - that was the usual method of transmission for ancient literature.]

The Search for Immortality At the edge of the sea Gilgamesh found a boatman, Urshanabi, who ran a ferry. Strange as it may seem the ferryman had orders to take no one to Dilmun. Gilgamesh forced Urshanabi to ferry him to Dilmun. There he met the ancient king of Shurrupak, Utnapishtim, and his wife.

The Story of the Flood A. In the distant past Marduk/Enlil decided to destroy Mankind. Unlike the Flood of Noah, Enlil's decision was not based on moral considerations. He dictated that a Flood would destroy all humans because they were too numerous and too noisy.

The Story of the Flood They disturbed his sleep, therefore they must go. The decision was not supported by most Gods, but Enlil was their commander. He ordered that no human should be informed of the impending disaster.

Story of the Flood B. Ea/Enki followed the literal orders but violated the spirit of it by whispering the information to the reed hut in which King Utnapishtim of Shurrupak slept. The hut told the King.

The Story of the Flood C. Having learned of the impending inundation Utnapishtim proceeded to build a boat and invited those who believed him to come aboard. Soon after the boat was completed rain fell and ground waters welled up. The storm flooded all but the highest mountains. Even the Gods were frightened and fled to the high mountains where they "cowered like dogs."

The Story of the Flood D. The storm lasted a week. After the Flood subsided, the boat came to rest atop a mountain. Utnapishtim built an alter and made a burnt offering to the Gods. They hovered around the incensor "like flies," except Enlil. The other Gods led by Inanna were so hungry they chastised Marduk/Enlil and would not let him eat until he promised not to try to destroy mankind again.

They made Enlil reward Utnapishtim and his wife for their role in saving mankind. He granted them immortality but were then confined to the island of Dilmun to spend Eternity in isolation.

The Story of the Flood The story devastated Gilgamesh. Since the circumstances which led to immortality for Utnapishtim and his wife would never be replicated, no more humans could attain eternal life. Resigned to the fact that he would eventually die, Gilgamesh prepared to leave. Utnapishtim told him about a "plant makes old men young again" which grew at the bottom of the sea.

The Return . Gilgamesh found the plant and began The return to Uruk with the ferryman, Urshanabi, who had been exiled because he took Gilgamesh to Dilman. They had the Plant of Rejuvenation with them. One evening as they bathed in a pool a serpent appeared, ate the Plant they had left on shore, sloughed its' skin, and disappeared.

The Return As they approached Uruk Gilgamesh pointed to the walls of the city which he had built and, he bragged, which would last forever. There lay the human route to immortality. One would live so long as he was remembered by his progeny, for his great deeds, or for the great things he built. That idea was commonplace in southwest Asia and is still part of Judaism.

Irony Gilgamesh actually became immortal - 4700 years later we still read and talk about him.