Hi everyone! Here’s the page for our first round of weekly responses that’s based on the assigned readings. The goal is to post your reactions to the readings, or in other weeks to examples of what we are talking about in class, as a way of helping us individually and collectively gain some insight into this specific place and time. Our online discussion this week relates to The Epic of Gilgamesh, which was the set of primary source readings assigned for Tuesday.

This kind of story may be new to a lot of you, and you may need to read through the tablets a time or two to get a sense of what’s going on. For this response, I want you to find a moment or scene that stands out to you, because it’s interesting or unexpected or because it gets you wondering.

Look for characters. Think about the individual people in the town and what they are experiencing. Find a moment and react to it with your own thoughts and ideas about what it tells us and what you want to know.

This week's reading that I chose to write about was Tablet II. The Taming of Enkidu. The reason why this reading was so intriguing to me was because it demonstrates the significatory involvement and importance women had in the making of a civilized man during ancient times. In the primary source, Enkidu initially had no sense of direction or care of becoming civilized. It was interesting to read how physical connection between the two sexes were so powerful that it helped him "forget the wild where he was born". All his life Enkidu was brought up by animals, and with physical touch from a woman all was forgotten.

I also find it interesting how much Shamhat compares Enkidu to a "God". It demonstrates encouragement for Enkidu to strive for his success in fulfilling his duties. The passage also shows reassurance from Shámhat telling Enkidu "you, too, like a man, will find a place for yourself". I think the author tries to communicate how much impact woman's guidance and support can affect a man's decisiveness. In the reading, the author expresses how the "counsel of a woman struck home in his heart", insisting how a woman's word can have an effect on a man's resolution.

In my opinion, the document helps me conclude that during this setting in history, men depended on a women's role to keep the civilization alive. In addition, I believe the author is trying to express how men would be living of natural instincts, without women's role in civilization, comparing them to wild animals, similar how Enkidu was first introduced.

The guidance and influence of a women is also shown between the story of Adam and Eve from The Book of Genesis. In the story, Eve persuades Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. Her words influenced him to even the most powerful being. I would like to know more about the women in ancient times, that were considered " prostitutes". If neither a maiden nor matron, is a women categorized as a prostitute? And if prostitutes also had roles that were expected to fulfill, why think of them as any less if they too are expected to guide men?

I chose from the Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet I, the Coming of Enkidu. To every good story, a good background is essential. This is why I chose this reading, because it gives an understanding of why Enkidu was sent and describes how Gilgamesh was. As I was reading, what stood out to me was that though Gilgamesh was fierce, great in strength, and a good-looking King who was set over Uruk, he did quite the opposite of taking care of those under him. He terrorized the people and took advantage of them. With how he is characterized, I could see why Enkidu came into play, which is what I believe the author was trying to communicate. 

In my opinion, this document is telling us that during that time and place, people in power, who were mostly male, could rule and do as they liked without repercussions.

I choose The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet I: The Coming of Enkidu because it shows how Mesopotamians viewed people, kingship, and the balance between the natural world and civilization. I was reminded of the narrative of Adam and Eve when Shamhat tempted Enkidu, forcing him to lose his wild power but gain human comprehension. That was the moment that most stuck out to me. I believe the author was demonstrating that being human needs more than just physical ability. Additionally calls for social interaction, culture, and community. The narrative points out how unfair rulers may be, even when they had divine favor, and how the gods occasionally stepped in to bring about harmony, as they did when they created Enkidu. 

The reading I picked is called “Gilgamesh, Tablet 2: The Taming of Enkidu”. “Gilgamesh, Tablet 2: The Taming of Enkidu” has peaked my interest because it speaks on the transformation that happened to Kindu from being a wild man to a civilized man with the help of Shamhat and after their encounter he is later found trying to stop Gilgamesh from continuing his practices. Which later causes a fighting interaction between him and Gilgamesh until they are no longer enemies. A detail in the passage that jumped out to me was the quotation, “For the goddess of weddings was ready the bed, for Gilgamesh, like a god, was set up a substitute. Enkidu with his foot blocked the door of the wedding house, not allowing Gilgamesh to enter.” (found in P.110). That quotation stood out to me because it illustrated the growth within Enkidu, along with his bravery to stand up to a tyrant king such as Gilgamesh considering that no one has tried to go against Gilgamesh to the degree that Enkidu has. I think the author was trying to communicate the importance of Shamhat as a woman who assisted in Enkidu’s transformation which led him to fight with Gilgamesh due to his disagreement towards the practices he had. In my opinion this document is telling us that the time and place that this document comes from is in a time where the opinion of the people did not matter to the king at the time, it was rare for someone to stand up against a tryant king, and that growth/transformation can be given to an individual through consoling, sex, or the simple act of communicating what is considered proper and what is not. I would like to find out more on whether the impact of Enkindu being cordial with Gilgamesh helps create a different practice system for the people or Uruk. 

I chose Tablet 2: The Taming of Enkidu because it shows how powerful the shift from nature to civilization can be in creating someone's identity. A detail from the reading that stood out to me was when Shamhat introduced bread and ale to Enkidu and stated that eating and drinking was essential to life. This moment was significant because it showed this was the initial second where Enkidu transitioned into human society. Sharing bread and ale were particular to Mesopotamian life, and that coming into this new light, Enkidu will have left behind the wilderness and solidify his new identity as being part of a civilization. Another important moment comes when Enkidu realizes that his strength has dwindled after leaving the wilderness. He was not able to live as freely and or run as quickly as he used to due to him being civilized. Though wisdom, creating friendships and a sense of belonging were gained he did in fact lose the freedom and innocence he had that he gained from being in the wilderness. I think the author was trying to communicate that civilization is both a gift and a sacrifice. The text reflects Mesopotamian values that celebrate order, ritual, and community, but it also acknowledges the costs of leaving behind the natural world. One thing to explore is Enkidu’s friendship with Gilgamesh and how their companionship was seen as essential when it came to facing challenges in life.

I chose Tablet II: The Taming of Enkidu from The Epic of Gilgamesh because it shows how gender roles were tied to ideas of civilization in ancient Sumer. One detail that caught my attention was when Shamhat presents Enkidu with food and drink: "Eat the bread, Enkidu, essential to life, drink the beer, the portion of the earth!" (Tablet II, lines 95-96). This moment is important because it shows that it is a woman who teaches Enkidu to live as a human being in society instead of remaining wild with animals. Her role demonstrates that women were seen as civilizing forces who could guide men toward culture and order.

On the other hand, the author seems to be communicating that gender in ancient Sumer was not only related to physical power, but also to influence and teaching. Gilgamesh represents male kingship and strength, but his abuse of women shows how his power was criticized when it undermined social balance. Shamhat, on the other hand, uses sexuality, food, and wisdom to change Enkidu. This indicates to me that in Sumer, women had influence even if they didn't rule directly. Compared to other readings about Mesopotamia that focus primarily on kings and laws, this story supports the idea that women were essential in shaping civilization. I would like to know more about whether women like Shamhat existed in real life and what roles they played in temple or city life.

I picked Tablet 6: Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven. I liked this one because it’s so dramatic—you’ve got Gilgamesh rejecting a goddess and then fighting a giant bull. The part that stood out most to me was when Gilgamesh turns down Ishtar and lists all the bad things she did to her past lovers. It showed he was bold, but also maybe too proud.

I think the story is trying to show that no matter how strong or brave people are, they can’t just go against the gods without consequences. Killing the Bull of Heaven feels like a huge win at first, but it leads to trouble later.

For me, this says a lot about Mesopotamian beliefs. They respected power and bravery, but they also feared the gods and their punishments. I’d like to know if people back then saw Gilgamesh more as a hero for standing up to Ishtar, or as someone who went too far

The reading that I chose was Tablet 1 from the Gilgamesh epic, and what made this reading interesting was how it described the creation of Enkidu, and how the description of it made it sound as if he was a destined hero, prepared to save the day. One detail that jumped out to me from the reading was how, from lines 99-107, the passage explains in detail how the goddess Aruru created Enkidu with such precision, and the descriptions of Enkidu like for example, in lines 103-107, "In the wild she created Enkidu, the hero, offspring of silence, knit strong by Ninurta. All his body is matted with hair; he bears long tresses like those of a woman: the hair of his head grows thickly as barley...." This really surprised me in how the passage explained the creation of Enkidu and what he looked like. In this passage, the author tries to communicate the idea of how Enkidu, presenting the human side of Gilgamesh, was sent to help Gilgamesh understand that even though he is half-god, he is also half-human, and that he shouldn't let the thought of being half-god motivate him to do whatever he wants and instead to understand that under all those god-like features, he is also half human. Based on the time and place of this passage, in my opinion, what this document is telling us is how these stories, like Gilgamesh, represent a social issue that was occurring at the time and how maybe some men thought that they were able to anything because of their gender but, in reality all people, male and female, are all the same. This passage supports the idea of the importance of women in historical events and writings because maybe if it wasn't for Gilgamesh's dream or the goddess Aruru creating Enkidu, the stuff that happened in the passages would not have happened.

I have chosen Tablet II: The Taming of Enkidu, as Enkidu's introduction to human society because it is an interesting moment of transformation. What stood out most to me was the detail of Shamhat using food, drink, and companionship to draw Enkidu to connect with the people living under Gilgamesh rulership. The passage where he eats bread and drinks ale for the first time jumped out to me because it highlights the importance of traditions of the Mesopotamian culture as Enkidu's wildness begins to fade and begins to understand the people. I believe the author was trying to communicate that civilization is not only defined by structures and cities but also traditions, customs and relationships help bind people together. In my opinion, the document is highlighting the values that were most important at the time eating, drinking and companionship, which are aspects that are still found in modern society.

I picked “Gilgamesh, Tablet 6: Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven”. I was interested in it because I was curious about how Ishtar, being a goddess, would react after being insulted and rejected by Gilgamesh. The part that surprised me the most was Gilgamesh’s courage to insult the goddess and reject her. I did not like how reckless Ishtar was, she did not care about the people who looked up to her. In her anger toward Gilgamesh, she caused destruction in the city, which caused many innocent people to lose their lives. I think the author was trying to show how dangerous gods can be when they are angry. This document might also try to point out that disasters or events, whether good or bad, could be associated with the actions of gods. Like the belief that worshipping gods and pleasing them could bring good fortune might have started from these kinds of events. This document contrasts with other similar texts because it portrays Gilgamesh as a brave hero who saves Uruk from the Bull of Heaven with Enkidu, whereas in other documents, he is shown as a manipulative king who misuses his power and status. I would like to learn more about what Ishtar does after the death of the Bull of Heaven. Does she give up, or find other ways to take revenge on Gilgamesh?

I selected The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet VI, where Ishtar proposes to Gilgamesh and then sends the Bull of Heaven. I found it most fascinating that although the gods are forces of nature, they still possess very human qualities. When Ishtar is rejected, she lashes out in rage, jealousy, and vengeance. This implies that Mesopotamian gods were not idealized, omnipotent powers but rather flawed, imperfect beings whose emotions could just as easily lead to destruction as to creation.

This document reveals that ancient Mesopotamians viewed their lives as shaped by divine intervention from deities with distinctly human personalities. For example, when Anu notes that sending the Bull of Heaven will bring seven years of scarcity, it suggests he is acting out of a bad mood rather than perfect wisdom. Crop failure, famine, and disasters could therefore be explained as the result of divine anger, since the gods were easily offended. Yet the story also shows that humans had some agency: it was a great honor for Gilgamesh and Enkidu to slay the Bull. This reflects a culture that believed compromise with the gods was essential, but that also celebrated heroic defiance against them.

I picked Gilgamesh Tablet 6

Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven. I chose this one because I was surprised by how personal and emotional the story felt. It is not just about a hero fighting monsters, but also about pride, rejection, and how dangerous the gods could be when they were angry.

The part that really stood out to me was when Ishtar asked Gilgamesh to marry her and promised him wealth and power, but he refused and insulted her by reminding her of what happened to her other lovers. This showed me that Gilgamesh was strong and confident but also reckless. He risked angering a goddess which says a lot about his pride. I think the author wanted to show that even great kings had flaws and made risky choices.

Another detail that caught my attention was the destruction caused by the Bull of Heaven. When it came down to Uruk it killed so many people and ruined the land before Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeated it. I think this shows how people in ancient Mesopotamia explained natural disasters and suffering through stories of the gods. It also shows how important teamwork was because Gilgamesh couldn't defeat the bull without Enkidu’s help.

For me, this story shows that the people who told it were trying to understand their world through the actions of gods and heroes. It makes me want to learn more about how kings like Gilgamesh were seen not just as rulers but also as larger than life figures who stood between humans and the gods.