Ancient Religions And The Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay

Ancient Religions of the Mesopotamians, the People of the Indus Valley, the Egyptians And the Epic of Gilgamesh The dictionary tells us that religion is a set of beliefs relating to the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Where do we get information to study about ancient religions? The easiest would be from writings, but in some cases there is no documentation or evidence of writings. So we turn to graves, buildings, art, artifacts, and everyday objects that were used in ancient times. By examining these items found in Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, and Egypt we can compare and contrast these ancient religions. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, a story found written in Mesopotamia we can compare their religion to the story. We can also explore the Epic of Gilgamesh and see how it is comparable to the biblical story of Noah. Mesopotamia means the land between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. It is modern day Iraq. Writings left behind start as pictographs or drawings and then change to cuneiform, which is wedge shapes pressed in clay. From these cuneiform writings, we can tell the people practiced polytheism. Mesopotamian gods favored truth and justice they were also responsible for violence and suffering. The gods controlled all aspects of life, especially the forces of nature. (Gale) The name of the god depended on the location inShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1119 Words   |  5 PagesTranslation Comparison Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh has been read and reviewed/ critiqued by numerous authors. I took the articles’ ‘Angiology in the Epic of Gilgamesh’ by Th. Jacobson, and compared it to Benjamin Fosters ‘A New edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh’ These two articles both critique the writings of The Epic of Gilgamesh but in different ways. 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