There is a deep resemblance between the advice given in Ecclesiastes and the advice given in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The Gilgamesh Epic was familiar in the biblical world as it was shared in many motifs and ideas with other ancient texts as well. The advice given in Ecclesiastes is to eat food and drink wine happily, wear white clothes, put oil on your head, enjoy life loving your wife, and love who are. The same advice was given to Gilgamesh and was told to fill his stomach with delicacies, be happy, always wear clean and fine clothing, take baths, and make the woman in their lives loved.
Chapter nine of Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes seems to be a very carefree man and live life to the fullest because he knows everyone must die at some point and so instead of worrying about it, he believes everyone should live happily for the amount of time they have remaining. Some things that Ecclesiastes believes in is it pays to be good in the long run because good deeds can get you rewards but sometimes it might not. Another thing that is mentioned in this chapter is he wants people to join him in taking pleasure in eating and drinking “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works” (9:7) as well as feeling free to wear the finest clothing as he mentioned, “Let thy garments
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Drink the beer, as is the custom of the land” (Smith 8). Gilgamesh is being told to drink and eat lavishly and this is the same advice being told to Ecclesiastes. Another instance is where “He washed out his married hair and cleaned up his equipment… throwing off these dirty clothes and putting on clean ones.” (Smith 21). In this particular part of the book, Gilgamesh was told to always be in clean clothing and never old and worn clothing. This is the same advice that was mentioned in