Special thanks to Kristen Grandfield, Yale - New Haven Teacher Institute
Tablets XI
Tablet Eleven (p. 84 - 95)
Gilgamesh realizes that the old man he meets is Utnapishtim himself. Utnapishtim reveals the secrets given to him as a result of the Great Flood. He gives Gilgamesh all the information about the Flood which then results in his gaining eternal life.
The Great Flood:
- took place in the city of Shuruppak, on the banks of the Euphrates. - gods decided to destroy the world and all the humans; they made a pact to tell no mortals of this plan to flood the world. - Ea, the god who created humanity, went to Utnapishtim and told him to build a boat, put his wife and all living things onto it. This was his way to get around actually telling someone about the flood. - Although the gods were upset that Utnapishtim knew to save himself, he is granted eternal life as a result.
After hearing this story from Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh is offered immortality by Utnapishtim if he can stay awake for six days and seven nights. However, Gilgamesh falls asleep but lies saying he did stay awake. Instead of eternal life, he is given a plant to make him young again. Because Gilgamesh does not trust the plant, he plans to bring it back to Uruk to use on an old man. En route, a snake eats the plant and leaves Gilgamesh with nothing.
The story ends with Gilgamesh returning to Uruk and looking at the city walls. He takes a moment to take it all in and then begins to write his journey on tablets.
FFW (5 min; 10 sentences):
- What do you know of the Flood Story of the Bible? How does it compare to the story told by Utnapishtim? - What do you predict for Gilgamesh after all his adventures?
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