First Civilizations - Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt (Second Edition) - Robert Chadwick
8 Mythology and religion in Mesopotamia: the story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu
First Civilizations - Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt (Second Edition) - Robert Chadwick
Robert Chadwick [+]
Bishop's University
Robert Chadwick is the co-director of the Wadi ath-Thamad Project and currently teaches in the Religion Department at Bishops University, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
Description
This chapter looks in detail at mythology and religion in Mesopotamia and in particular at the Gilgamesh epic, one of the oldest and most interesting stories to come out of the region which was probably based on a real ruler of Uruk. Topics discussed: - the formation of the Gilgamesh epic - nature against civilization - the quest for fame - the quest for immortality - carpe diem - the Abubu or great flood