.

I chose to focus on the image of Queen Nefertiti. I find it interesting to see how it mentions a transition to the afterlife and how it is being received by other entities. I don't know much about any of the figures in the image, they all look interesting, but I would like to know more about Horus and his purpose.

Also, how is the transition to the afterlife, if it is different for each individual or the same for everyone.

In Tablet 7: The Death of Enkidu the passage where Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu deeply, saying, “I weep for Enkidu, my friend, the friend who was like a brother to me,” stands out. Gilgamesh’s grief reveals his fear of death and mortality, marking a shift in the story from heroic feats to a search for meaning in life and death. This moment shows that, despite his power, Gilgamesh cannot escape the reality of death, reflecting the Sumerian belief in the inevitability of death for all, regardless of status or strength. The author seems to communicate the human struggle with the fear of death and the quest for immortality. Gilgamesh’s journey represents the desire to leave a lasting legacy. I’d like to explore how other ancient cultures viewed immortality and death and whether this theme was unique to Sumer or common in other mythologies.

What interests me the most from these tablets is where Gilgamesh understands that becoming immortal is impossible because death is inevitable for all mortals. Since the death of Enkidu, it is revealed that Gilgamesh fears his own death, and he tries to escape it by becoming immortal, but he fails when he tries to keep the plant of immortality from being taken by a snake that tries to reclaim it to the world of nature. This shows how immortality is only given to the gods, and the gods have the power to destroy humanity through natural disasters and causes to show immortals that they cannot escape death. All they can do is whatever they can while they are alive and leave behind a legacy that will live on after their death. In tablet 11, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh the story of the deluge caused by people who defied the wrath of the Gods. Only a few people and animals survived because of the ark, and the people who survived the flood made the most of what they could do while their still alive. This makes me wonder if Enkidu's death was an act of the Gods to show Gilgamesh that death can happen to anyone, even to the most powerful man who thinks that he can escape death since he is part god and mortal but is that true death can be an act of the gods for those who try to defy their wrath.

What caught my attention the most was tablet 11, where Utnapishtim creates the ark. This caught my attention a lot because it is similar to the Bible; where Noah's ark is similar to tablet 11, in addition the circumstances and details about the creation of the ark are very similar, for example in the great flood caused by the wrath of God and also having a different animal in the ark. And I think that the author tries to communicate to us more about the meaning of life and the purpose itself in this tablet, in addition to the fact that the most valuable thing for human beings is death and what gives meaning to our lives. I would also like to know if the Bible took inspiration from the tablet or if the tablet took inspiration from the Bible.

I'll be discussing Gilgamesh, Tablet 7: The Death of Enkidu for my fifth week response. The passage that jumped at me the most, was when Enkidu was dying slowing. But, before he faced death he cried out with his last breath, "why, oh why, was I brought into this world only to die??". His fear of death along with the amount of sorrow he was feeling all across his body hit very hard for me because it displayed a very human emotion of not wanting to die and just wanting to live forever. It was a sign of mortality, Enkidu understood in his final moments what it means to be human. He understood that human beings will one day die, it's inevitable. For me to witness Enkidu, who was a literal creation of the Gods, with such strength and endurance face the same universal fear that we humans do is absolutely mind blowing to me. I believe that the author was trying to communicate to us the inevitability of death and that it's a universal fear that we humans all have deep deep down within us. Enkidu's grief and fear of death reflects the universal fear of mortality like water, Enkidu's death forced Gilgamesh to seek immortality. Death is what gives life meaning to know that your days are numbered. I would with out a doubt, want to learn more about how the Ancient Mesopotamians viewed the afterlife, especially after Enkidu described a dark shadowy underworld. What were their beliefs?? How did their beliefs impact of influence the way they view life and death??

What really stood out to me in The Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet 11 was how hard Gilgamesh took Enkidu’s death. He just couldn’t accept it’s he mourned so deeply, refusing to believe his best friend was really gone. That moment forced him to face something he never really thought about before: his own mortality. Seeing Enkidu die made him panic, and he became obsessed with finding a way to live forever. But in the end, no matter what he did, it didn’t work he lost the plant that could have restored his youth, and he had to come to terms with the fact that death is inevitable. What really got me was how much this whole journey changed him. He started off as this reckless, kind of arrogant king, but Enkidu really softened him. By the end, he realizes that immortality isn’t about living forever it’s about the mark you leave behind. That part really stuck with me.

The most vivid description in this section of the book is of Enkidu's vision of the underworld prior to his death. In the vision, the underworld is a mournful and desolate realm where all humans, no matter their standing in life, turn into feathered creatures and subsist on dust. This imagery highlights the certainty of death and the vulnerability of human life. Enkidu, this fierce and uncivilized warrior, becomes a helpless and doomed one, emphasizing the fact that friendship or strength can never free a person from his or her final fate.

Second, this is a turning point in the life of Gilgamesh. Enkidu's death incites Gilgamesh to seek immortality with all this frantic urgency. Enkidu visualizes in his mind the gods gathering to sentence him to death, and in a grim irony, gets sick and dies in bed—demonstrating that even hero characters are susceptible to mortality. It was Enkidu's fear of dying and how the gods conspired for his death to take place, suggesting that even superhuman entities like them are bound by the reality of death. This epiphany weighs heavily on Gilgamesh, who, frightened of coming to the same end, sets out to flee death. He tries desperate things, like staying awake for seven days and going down to the bottom of the sea to get a plant that can revive life, but everything he does only keeps death at bay. In the end, the tale reinforces the age-old principle that regardless of what we do, death will always find us—even the gods.

as soon as tablet 7 starts Enkidu dream about the gods in assembly decreeing his doom then in a sense of irony, he felt sick and die on his bed showing that nobody is immoral to death itself not even the gods. what stand out to me was Enkidu fear of death and the gods making his death showing that even gods have the fear of death like us humans and that death is already decided, and we cannot do nothing about it. seeing how his friend dies and being afraid of having the same outcome happen to him Gilgamesh tries to gain immortality with methods like not sleeping for a week straight, diving to the seabed to get a plant like coral that had the property of rejuvenation, but doing all this only push back the inevitable that whatever you do, we all going to die at some point even the gods. even Gilgamesh getting advice from uta-napishti who got immortality and it still not working shows that it is inevitable and uta-napishti was just lucky to have the gods on his side. the thing I wonder though is how will the god feel about uta- napishti trying to gain Gilgamesh immorality, would he be punished and taken away his immortality?

Something I read that caught my attention was when Enkidu had a dream where the Gods decided that he must die as a punishment for killing the bull of heaven and he then died twelve days after his second dream. When this happens it affects Gilgamesh and he starts to fear death because of his friend Enkidu's death. I feel as though the author made this a teaching moment for Gilgamesh that he needs to accept his fate and his immorality. I also think it shows how this friendship was important to Gilgamesh and I would like to know how they view the afterlife to be, what made Gilgamesh so fearful of it.

Regarding tablets 7 and 11 of the Epic of Gilgamesh, one particular section that caught my attention as I read the story was about Enkidu's dream in which the gods ultimately chose his fate, followed by her becoming unwell and eventually dying as a result. I believe the author is attempting to convey the idea that death is something that is already predestined and beyond anyone's own control. The only reason this caught my attention more was that it occurred in a way that put Enkidu in danger immediately after. I think that his vision also enabled him to witness firsthand the gloomy and devoid underworld, which is open to everyone regardless of social standing or societal royalty. Death is not only unavoidable but also unpredictable; it has no remorse toward any human being, not because they are horrible people or even if they are good people; it is simply destiny. The Sumerian society has a serious fear of death, as seen by Gilgamesh's response to Enkidu's. His sorrow over her passing is a reflection of humanity's suffering, which illustrates mortality and leads Sumer to wonder why people die. 

One of the most striking passages that stood out to me the most in this section of the tale is the tale of the Flood, in which Utnapishtim explains to Gilgamesh how the gods resolved to destroy mankind with a flood, but Ea warned him and instructed him to construct a boat in order to preserve himself. I was fascinated because it is so much like the story of Noah in the Bible and other flood legends in different cultures. I think that what the author is trying to convey with this is the frailty of human nature towards the gods and fate. Once more, this sentence continues the quest for immortality in that Utnapishtim is the sole survivor from among all men who outlived death but not through personal merit but through the mercy of the gods. This revelation is crucial to Gilgamesh because he now understands that immortality is something that is impossible to acquire by individual work.

One of the descriptions that actually jumped out at me in this portion of the book is when Enkidu has his vision of the underworld before he dies. In his vision, he finds the world of the dead to be a sorrowful and melancholy world where all of humanity, regardless of their position in life, all become feathered and eat dust. Furthermore, I think the writer was trying to express the certainty of death and vulnerability of human life. Enkidu, once powerful and unfettered man, is reduced to a weak and condemned life, to highlight that power or friendship cannot prevent the final destiny. Secondly, the scene is used to be pivotal in the development of Gilgamesh, as the death of Enkidu forces him to seek immortality.

I’m focusing on Gilgamesh, Tablet 7: The Death of Enkidu, when I answer this.

One passage that stood out to me was when Enkidu, facing his death, cries out, "Why, oh why, was I brought into this world only to die?" His fear and sorrow hit hard because it shows a very human struggle with mortality, despite his being a creation of the gods. It was surprising to see how even a character created with such strength faces the same existential fears that we do.

I think the author is highlighting the inevitability of death and the deep emotional impact it has. Enkidu’s grief reflects the universal fear of mortality, and his death pushes Gilgamesh to seek immortality, showing that death shapes our lives and decisions.

I’d like to learn more about how ancient Mesopotamians viewed the afterlife, especially the shadowy underworld Enkidu describes. What were their beliefs, and how did these beliefs influence their view of life and death?

In these tablets what stood out to me was Gilgamesh’s fear of death. He went on a long journey, trying to find out how he can escape death. I think this is a very relatable topic because many people are afraid of dying. This includes myself if there was a chance of escaping death I probably will try my best to take it. Gilgamesh ultimately gets disappointed and accepts that he’s being denied immortality. I also think this shows how losing a loved one can affect you so much. This is because after Enkidu dies that’s when he finally realizes he’s so scared of death. The last thing that I think this shows is how much power the gods have. They get immortality and humans don’t.

This week, what stood out to me was the idea that Gilgamesh, although he may see himself as a god and have god-like abilities, he is not one, and losing his friend/ equal reminded him of this. Immortality is something that humans do not have the luxury of. The idea that one may become hurt and lose their life from such injury is not an issue that gods worry about. When Gilgamesh lost Enkidu, he was shown that he may be powerful, but the gods are not always merciful and do not fret over human matters. Human lives are short compared to the existence of gods, and can be taken from this earth much easier than an almighty being such as a god. Something that also stood out to me was the full circle moment when Giglamesh returned to summer. His humanity tied to his identity as a person from Sumer. The pride and humanity that comes from hailing from a city full of humans and culture. The idea of someone being from a place not only gives this person pride but can as well, showcase their growth by going on a journey and returning "changed". That although a person may not appear physically changed, but their mindset has, and returning to their home as a "different person", shows the cycle of change and growth that that person went through.

What interests me about the reading is the various ways Gilgamesh tries to outsmart death. Not sleeping for a week, diving into the sea bed for a special plant, and even dressing in fancy garments. Out of all the ways I've heard of people gaining Immortality or trying to escape death none of them match the trials Gilgamesh had to do. You'd think he'd have to kill a mythical beast, save his kingdom from a great terror etc. but no. The trial of avoiding sleeping for a week most intrigued me, No human could go a week without sleeping it was so blatantly a test Gilgamesh was not going to pass. He was designed to fail every trial, seeing characters trying to escape death isn't new to me I just assumed that after watching Enkidu die he'd know better. I also found it very fascinating that someone like Uta-Napishti tried to help Gilgamesh and failed. He was given immortality so he should know what it takes to gain immortality also wouldn't the gods be upset by him trying to help Gilgamesh escape death?

The author was trying to communicate that there is no escaping death for mortals. When your time comes it comes no matter what. There are very special, and very rare circumstances where a mortal might be granted immortality like Uta-Napishti. Gilgamesh was scared of death but he should've known from watching Enkidu that there was no escaping it. I also believe the author was trying to show how scary death is that even Gilgamesh the brave and strong king tried every trick in the book to escape its clutches. Mortals are just mortals and they are at the mercy of the gods and if they decide its your time to die then there isn't anything you can do about it.

I would like to learn more about Ancient Sumer's gods. How many were there? which gods were the most important besides Ishtar and Enlil? What are the many different myths surrounding these gods? and What are the relationships between each god? I wonder if they are similar to greek gods or ancient egyptian gods. I am very interested on the other types of folklore surrounding ancient Sumerian gods.