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We will be discussing creation stories as a means by which different cultures describe who they are. This includes what it means to be “human”, and how we relate to God (or the gods), to each other, and to nature. In your reading, you have two conflicting examples of creation s: the epic of Gilgamesh, and the creation stories in the Bible. From your readings, please comment on how these stories differ with respect to:
a Understanding the created universe, God’s (or the god’s) purpose for it.
See Sedlacek pp. 31 – 36 and 49-57, as well as The Genesis Paradigm. 500 words, include references
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible present contrasting views of creation. The Babylonian epic, as recorded in the Sumerian poem, presents a more mechanistic view of creation than the Bible’s account of divine intervention. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, there is no God or gods involved in the formation and ordering of the universe; instead, it is attributed to a combination of forces working together. In contrast to this naturalistic explanation for creation is the Jewish narrative found in Genesis which depicts a single God creating all things out of nothing (ex nihilo) through declarative speech.
The purpose for this universe created according to The Epic of Gilgamesh can be seen as an accidental by-product rather than intentional design by divine being(s). Creation began as an act driven by “wisdom” from Elil who sought to bring order out chaos with his two hands. He then creates humans from clay so that they could work and care for his realm once he had gone away. These humans were given rule over everything between heaven and earth but were warned not to go beyond their boundaries lest it lead to their destruction(Sedlacek 31-36). On the other hand, being made in God’s image gives humanity an inherent dignity that sets them apart and makes them stewards over all life on Earth (Genesis Paradigm 49-57).
These two stories have different implications when it comes to understanding our place in nature. In The Epic, man was merely a tool designed by Elil while in Genesis, man has been given dominion over nature because they have been created with similar attributes as God himself (dominion implies control rather than equality among living beings). This divide further translates into different understandings about our relationship with each other: human relations are presented as power struggles within The Epic whereas Genesis paints a picture where mutual respect and harmony should be fostered amongst all mankind due its shared likeness with its creator(Genesis Paradigm 49-57).
In conclusion, these two accounts offer distinct depictions how we relate both to our environment/nature and each other based on their explanations for existence – whether its due to chance events or deliberate acts from divine entities – which will ultimately determine how we interact with one another now and into future generations .
References:
Sedlacka V.(2020) “An Introduction To Ancient Near Eastern Thought”. Princeton University Press: Princeton & Oxford
Poythress V.(1989).”The Genesis Paradigm”. Crossway Books: Wheaton