Comparing Gilgamesh And The Oxford Study Bible

In ancient texts such as “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Oxford Study Bible”, there are representations of resilient homo-social relationships, which two characters share. Within the text “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, there are two men, Enkidu and Gilgamesh. They share a strong companionship throughout the text because of how different they are, allowing them to connect with one another on a different level. Gilgamesh was a powerful king who ruled Uruk, however he was still young and needed to experience more in order to achieve all of the necessary knowledge to be a memorable king. Enkidu was a wild man who grew up amongst wild animals and he battled Gilgamesh. However, this was the start of a strong relationship between the two. Additionally,

This demonstrates the teamwork of Gilgamesh and Enkidu when killing Humbaba. There was unity in this act, although it wasn’t rightful, they worked together to do so for them both to be accredited for it. There was the possibility for one of the two to carry out the entire task of killing Humbaba and receiving the glory for it, however this was not the case with the friendship shared between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. They planned and executed the battle hand in hand. The relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu was very impactful upon one another, in both life and death. Due to their strong companionship, when Enkidu was killed by the gods, this took a great toll on Gilgamesh and his view on life. He wished to attain immortality. “My friend Enkidu’s plight weighs heavy upon me. A distance road I roam over the steppe, How can I be silent?... Shall I too not lie down like him, And never get up forever and ever?” (Foster 84). In other words, Gilgamesh is expressing his sorrows caused by Enkidu’s death. Enkidu’s death triggered the realization for Gilgamesh, that once you are dead, you are gone forever. Life no longer resumes for you; however, the

God communicates his guidance to Moses, to ensure that he can rescue the Israelites when God sees them struggling. Their ties represent divine leadership and presence. God specifically chose Moses of all men to be the one to convey his message to the Israelites, and he left no stone unturned in ensuring that the people, including the Pharaoh, would believe that Moses is God’s aid. “The Oxford Study Bible” states, “The LORD then told Moses to go to Pharaoh and say, ‘These are the words of the LORD: Let my people go in order to worship me. If you refuse, I shall bring plague of frogs over the whole of your territory. The Nile will swarm with them” (Exodus 8:1-3). This expresses God telling Moses the message that he wants to convey to the Pharaoh of Egypt. Moses wasn’t an assured speaker, and he doubted himself in his ability to properly convey God’s messages to the Pharaoh and Israelites. God is witnessing his Israelites being treated horribly under the rule of the Egyptians. They are being forced into laborious work and are being mistreated. God selected Moses to be their guide out of Egypt, however the Israelites can only be saved if they listen to Moses and if the Pharaoh heeds God’s orders that Moses communicates. Pharaoh refuses to believe Moses. Moses was already doubtful of himself, however God provides a warning of what he will follow