If you are looking for the beginning of the Epic of Gilgamesh study you should start HERE with the Historical introduction. The links to each set of study questions will be posted at the bottom of that original post as they are completed so you can easily find whichever section you are looking for.
Grammar Questions: (The Facts of the Text)
Who is Siduri, what did she see coming her way, and what did she do? (i)
What does Siduri ask Gilgamesh after he tells her who he is? (i)
What advice does Siduri give Gilgamesh after hearing his story? (i)
Whose help does Gilgamesh need if he is going to cross the sea? (i)
What does Gilgamesh do when he reaches the first island? (ii)
What does Urshánabi instruct Gilgamesh to do? (iii)
How does Gilgamesh continue the journey on his boat once he runs out of poles? (iii)
What does the Old Man “consult” as he is watching the boat from far away? (iv)
What does the Old Man say about “the day of death?” (v)
Logic Questions: (Interpreting the Text)
What is indicated by the fact that Gilgamesh “saw a worm fall out of his [Enkidu] nose?” (i)
Why does Siduri advise Gilgamesh to “eat and drink. Let there be pleasure in dancing?” (i)
Gilgamesh recounts the reason he looks “like one who has undergone a journey” three times in this reading but the third time is slightly different. Look at the account in part i, part iii, and then part v. What does he say in the last account that he doesn’t say in the first two?
Who do you think the Old Man is? (iv-v)
The Old Man asks, “You who were born the son of a goddess mother, why do you grieve because of your mortal father?” Why does he ask this when it is Enkidu’s death that seems to be the source of Gilgamesh’s grief? (v)
Consider the “how long” questions in section v, what seems to be the Old Man’s point?
What is meant by the Old Man’s statement “see how the dead resemble each other?” (v)
Rhetoric Questions: (Analyzing Ideas in the Text)
Gilgamesh’s response to the death of his friend is to seek immortality. What are some different ways that people tend to react to death? How ought people to cope with the idea of death?
Friends and family die, youth and health fade over time. Is it true that no good thing lasts forever? Give some reasoning for your answer.
Do you agree with the Old Man when he says that in death “The simple man and the ruler resemble each other?” (v) Are there no distinctions in death between so-called “great men” and the common person? Perhaps it is true in one sense but not in another? What do you think and why?
Theological Analysis: (Bringing the Scripture to Bear on the Text)
The phrase “My fame will be secure to all my sons” is repeated throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh and is said again in this reading. (i) Compare this idea with Ecclesiastes 2:16. What would be the Scripture’s response to Gilgamesh’s claim?
Consider the words of Siduri, “Only the gods can live forever. Therefore put on new clothes, a clean robe and a cloak tied with a sash, and wash the filth of the journey from your body. Eat and drink your fill of the food and drink men eat and drink. Let there be pleasure and dancing.” (i) Compare this to Luke 12:13-21 and also 1 Corinthians 15:32-34. In light of these passages, what do you think the Scripture would say about the advice of Siduri?
How might we relate the Old Man’s “how long” questions to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8? (v)
Virtues/Vices/Great Ideas: (Find them in the Text)
Wilderness vs. Civilization, Fear, Needing a Guide, Death