World History Chapter 1
HIST 120
June 17, 2013
Chapter 1
1. What was the Mesopotamian view of the afterlife? Life and human fortune was very instable in Mesopotamians’ eyes. People just observed death and afterlife from a distance and some made them into a series of myths. For instance, “The Epic of Gilgamesh” expresses its idea on eventual death. No matter how hard Gilgamesh tries to lengthen his life, his death is predestined. The Mesopotamians viewed afterlife as an inevitable end.
2. What is the message of Siduri’s advice to Gilgamesh?
The message from Siduri to Gilgamesh is that one cannot hurry to the meaning of life. As God assigned us all to our eventually endings, we should be in the best condition to face the reality, death. “You will never find that life for which you are looking Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things” (Siduri 40), once says Siduri. Siduri’s influence will later help define the concept of death to Gilgamesh.
3. Consider Utnapishtim’s initial response to Gilgamesh’s request for the secret of eternal life. How does his message complement what Siduri has said? * Utnapishtim claims that there is no permanence. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that death is an inevitable event. This message definitely goes along with Siduri’s sayings by supporting the idea of inescapable death. Utnapishtim’s metaphor, “Do we build a house to stand forever?”, represents that nothing can be perpetual, including life. 4. Consider the story of Utnapishtim. What do the various actions of the gods and goddesses allow us to infer how the Mesopotamians viewed their deities? * One view of Mesopotamian deities will be that some of them are extremely mighty and powerful. For instance, Enlil made a gigantic flood that “For six days and six nights the winds blew, torrent and tempest and flood overwhelmed the world, tempest and flood raged together like warring hosts”. This potent action reflects to the immeasurable control gods and goddesses had in the mind of the
June 17, 2013
Chapter 1
1. What was the Mesopotamian view of the afterlife? Life and human fortune was very instable in Mesopotamians’ eyes. People just observed death and afterlife from a distance and some made them into a series of myths. For instance, “The Epic of Gilgamesh” expresses its idea on eventual death. No matter how hard Gilgamesh tries to lengthen his life, his death is predestined. The Mesopotamians viewed afterlife as an inevitable end.
2. What is the message of Siduri’s advice to Gilgamesh?
The message from Siduri to Gilgamesh is that one cannot hurry to the meaning of life. As God assigned us all to our eventually endings, we should be in the best condition to face the reality, death. “You will never find that life for which you are looking Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things” (Siduri 40), once says Siduri. Siduri’s influence will later help define the concept of death to Gilgamesh.
3. Consider Utnapishtim’s initial response to Gilgamesh’s request for the secret of eternal life. How does his message complement what Siduri has said? * Utnapishtim claims that there is no permanence. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that death is an inevitable event. This message definitely goes along with Siduri’s sayings by supporting the idea of inescapable death. Utnapishtim’s metaphor, “Do we build a house to stand forever?”, represents that nothing can be perpetual, including life. 4. Consider the story of Utnapishtim. What do the various actions of the gods and goddesses allow us to infer how the Mesopotamians viewed their deities? * One view of Mesopotamian deities will be that some of them are extremely mighty and powerful. For instance, Enlil made a gigantic flood that “For six days and six nights the winds blew, torrent and tempest and flood overwhelmed the world, tempest and flood raged together like warring hosts”. This potent action reflects to the immeasurable control gods and goddesses had in the mind of the