The Creation of Enkidu Essay - 2336 Words

Creation stories are symbolic accounts of how the world and its inhabitants came about. These stories first developed in oral traditions, so there are multiple accounts of them from different cultures and societies. The Babylonian Creation story, the Genesis Creation story, and the Sumerian story of the Creation of Enkidu are examples of these and the similarities are interesting. As Dennis Bratcher states, â€Å"Because of many parallels with the Genesis account, some historians concluded that the Genesis account was simply a rewriting of the Babylonian Story. As a reaction, many who wanted to maintain the uniqueness of the Bible argues either that there were no real parallels between the accounts or that the Genesis narratives were†¦show more content†¦In the Genesis story, God creates man in his own image and likeness. There are different versions of the Genesis bible. In one of these versions, it is said that humans were made from clay. One difference of the crea tion stories is that the Sumerian and Babylonian people have many gods, but the Hebrew people have only one god. In all of these stories, only one god creates man. The Hebrew God can never die. He is immortal. The gods in the Babylonian and Sumerian story can be defeated. The gods in the Sumerian and Babylonian stories are like the â€Å"man† that the Hebrew god created. â€Å"Man, that is born of woman, is of few days and full of trouble. Like a flower he comes forth and is withered; he flees like the shadow and does not endure† (Job 14:1-2). In the Babylonian creation story, man was made of the blood of Kingu who was a troublesome god who was killed for the purpose of his blood. He was created primarily in order to serve the gods and free them from the need of working for their â€Å"bread.† In the Genesis creation story, man was made to rule over the animals and creatures of the earth. In the Sumerian creation story of Enkidu, it is said that he was created solely for the purpose of balancing Gilgamesh out so Uruk could finally have peace. â€Å"The people suffer from his tyranny, the people cry out that he takes the son from his father and crushes him, takes the girl from her mother andShow MoreRelatedEnkidu And The Creation Of Gilgamesh964 Words   |  4 PagesEnkidu is created for the sole purpose of distracting Gilgamesh. The Akkadian creation myth sets mankind as a servant to the gods. Servant might not be the right term, though. Man was created less to serve the gods, more to serve their will. This is not to demean man, but to bring man to an almost godlike level without the belittling the gods. If man is more than just a servant to the gods, if he is a necessary part of their primary goal, then man becomes a critical part in the system. Someone whoRead MoreGilgamesh vs Bible1424 Words   |  6 Pageswork did not influence the other. The way in which these two books begin is creation. This is the first similarity that we can state. But in the Bible it was the creation of Adam and in Gilgamesh the creation of Enkidu. There are actually two different stories in the Bible in which Adam is created while there is just only one story of Enkidu’s formation. A major parallel that can be seen is between Adam, and Gilgamesh and Enkidu. God created Adam in his own image, and ordained man to dominate over allRead MoreThe Fall From Moral Perfection1442 Words   |  6 Pagesthe unharmonious relationship between nature and the individual. In the city, people indulge in unnecessary luxuries, often ignoring and damaging natural creations. On the other hand, however, those in the wilderness are constantly feared by the civilized with the preconceived notion that they are barbaric and animal-like. Created a wild man, Enkidu was more animal than man, therefore he was immune to the sins of civilization until Shamash, the harl ot sent by King Gilgamesh of Uruk, seduced him. TheRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : The Goddess Aruru, The Temple Prostitute, And The Unnamed Bride1206 Words   |  5 PagesThere are three important women in the epic of Gilgamesh: the goddess Aruru, the temple prostitute Shamhat, and the unnamed bride. Each of these individuals give unique insight into the culture of the Sumerians in the time of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The goddess Aruru exemplifies that, despite being a deity, all women were subjected to certain constraints based solely on their gender and societal norms. Shamhat demonstrates that women held various functional roles in society, including roles withinRead MoreGender Roles in The Epic of Gilgamesh688 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Mesopotamian culture that produced the text. On one hand, the female principle is responsible for creation. 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The Tale of Sinuhe only revolvesRead MoreAnalysis Of Enkidu s The Epic 849 Words   |  4 Pages Enkidu’s role in the epic explores the idea that humans cultivation of the earth to suit their own needs will lead to their demise. Enkidu was depicted as androgynous to allow the reader to see themselves in the journey and allows the narrator more flexibility. Enkidu was described as â€Å"lush with head hair like a woman†. Gilgamesh recounted a dream to his mother saying, â€Å"I fell in love with it like a woman I caressed it†. The use of the word â€Å"it† can imply gender is disregarded and allows the narratorRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay1721 Words   |  7 PagesThe old men of Uruk told Aruru, the goddess of creation, that since she made Gilgamesh, she must now make someone strong enough to stand up to his tyranny. Aruru created Enkidu from a simple pinch of clay as an equal, rival and ultimately to become Gilgamesh’s saviour. Enkidu’s creation parallels the biblical story of Adam’s creation from the earth, ‘the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground’. Genesis 1:27. Additionally, Gilgamesh and Enkidu essentially mirror each other both in physiqueRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 738 Words   |  3 Pagesthis, they call out to the sky god Anu for help. Anu decides to turn to the goddess of creation, Aruru whom makes an equal for Gilgamesh. Aruru created Enkidu to be just like Gilgamesh and for them to contend together and leave Uruk in quiet. When Gilgamesh got up and went to the house of a bride waiting for the bridegroom, Enkidu stepped out and stood in the street blocking the way. They met at the gate and Enkidu put his foot to prevent Gilgamesh entering the house. This began a fight between theRead MoreThe Between Humans And The Gods1515 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing a ruler who does not treat his people well â€Å" Gilgamesh sounds the tocsin for his amusem ent , his arrogance has no bounds by day or night.no son is left with his father for Gilgamesh takes them all†(gilgamesh,62) Aruru (the Goddess of Creation) creates Enkidu, who is supposed to be the equal of Gilgamesh so they could contend together and leave uruk in quiet. Despite their display ability to use their immense power to affect daily events they are also are presented as being like humans, have