Response Essay's The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Ever since I first read The Epic of Gilgamesh in a high school history class, I have been fascinated with the mythology, culture, and art of Ancient Mesopotamia. There was something about that story that spoke to me on a thematic level—something that, to this day, I could never narrow down to a single element. Maybe it was the idea of man’s battle against the ever-present forces of death and the demigod protagonist's relatable sentiments regarding his mortality. Or maybe it was the theme of love and companionship that humanized the story and rooted it in a reality the average human being could identify with.

When it comes to that particular story, the thematic material is what piqued my interest; however, it was the various beings the characters

At the time, I was well aware that Mesopotamia was far from the only ancient culture rich with legends of fantastical gods and monsters. Nonetheless, the chaotic Mesopotamian worldview, as opposed to the comparatively benevolent disposition of the beings present within the mythos of the nearby Egyptian culture, is what attracted me the most to the world built by that ancient civilization, as I can personally appreciate the idea that nature is intrinsically treacherous and must be approached with the utmost care and

In his hands, the eagle-headed being is holding a small bucket of sorts and a cone shaped object. While looking at the pictures I took of the piece, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to do some light research to try and discover what those items were meant to symbolize, if anything at all. During my research, I found images of dozens of identical sculptures. I also came across Ancient Replicas, a site that specializes in creating and selling replicas of Biblical artifacts, as well as educating visitors on the cultures the replicas were influenced