What is so special about Utnapishtim?

What is so special about Utnapishtim?

Utnapishtim, in the Babylonian Gilgamesh epic, survivor of a mythological flood whom Gilgamesh consults about the secret of immortality. Utnapishtim was the only man to escape death, since, having preserved human and animal life in the great boat he built, he and his wife were deified by the god Enlil.

What happened to Utnapishtim after the flood?

When the rains subsided, the boat landed on a mountain, and Utnapishtim set loose first a dove, then a swallow, and finally a raven, which found land.

Why did Utnapishtim tell the flood story?

The flood story was included because in it, the flood hero Utnapishtim is granted immortality by the gods and that fits the immortality theme of the epic. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh of a boxthorn-like plant at the very bottom of the ocean that will make him young again.

How is Utnapishtim warned of the upcoming flood?

In the Babylonian story, some of the gods decided to send a flood to destroy humanity. However, Ea, the god of wisdom and water, warned Utnapishtim of the coming flood and told him to build a ship for himself and his family. On the ninth day, Utnapishtim sent a raven.

What kind of person is Utnapishtim?

Utnapishtim is a simple and devout man. He listened to the dream in which Ea told him to build a great ship before the flood, and spent a great deal of time and effort to protect his family. Though now immortal, he lives a straightforward life relaxing far from civilization.

How does Utnapishtim view death?

Utnapishtim’s name means “He Who Saw Life,” though “He Who Saw Death” would be just as appropriate, since he witnessed the destruction of the entire world.

How does Utnapishtim help Gilgamesh?

At the end of his story, Utnapishtim offers Gilgamesh a chance at immortality. If Gilgamesh can stay awake for six days and seven nights, he, too, will become immortal. Gilgamesh accepts these conditions and sits down on the shore; the instant he sits down he falls asleep.

What does Utnapishtim put on the boat?

Eventually, the boat ran aground on a mountain peak. After seven days, Utnapishtim released a dove. When it couldn’t find a dry place to alight, it returned to the boat. Utnapishtim released a swallow.

How did Utnapishtim survive the Great Flood?

But Ea, the god of wisdom, warned Utnapishtim in a dream to build a great boat in which his family and several of every living creature might take refuge. This Utnapishtim did, and when the gods unleashed the dreadful floods, they survived the disaster. In gratitude, Utnapishtim offered blood sacrifice to the gods.

Is Utnapishtim good or bad?

Utnapishtim is the Far-Away, living at the mouth of all rivers, at the ends of the world. Utnapishtim was the great king of the world before the Flood and, with his wife, was the only mortal preserved by the gods during the Flood.

How is Utnapishtim portrayed?

In Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim is portrayed as wise, loyal, modest, and pious, and thus deserving of the immortality he was granted.

How does Utnapishtim attain immorality?

Many years before the events in the story, the gods had sent a flood to punish humanity. Similarly to the story of Noah’s ark, the gods told Utnapishtim to build a boat which would preserve both human and animal life. The gods rewarded Utnapishtim for his faith and obedience by deifying him and granting him immorality.

What is the story of Utnapishtim?

Utnapishtim or Utanapishtim ( Akkadian: 𒌓𒍣) is a character in ancient Mesopotamian mythology. He is tasked by the god Enki (Ea) to create a giant ship to be called Preserver of Life in preparation of a giant flood that would wipe out all life. The character appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

How does Utnapishtim convince Gilgamesh to stay awake?

As Gilgamesh sits and waits, he is tempted by sleep. Utnapishtim discusses Gilgamesh’s challenge with his wife, who is skeptical that Gilgamesh will stay awake. Utnapishtim tells his wife to bake bread, and to each day place a loaf by Gilgamesh’s head, and to make marks on the wall to count how many days he has stayed awake.

Why does Utnapishtim banish Urshanabi from his shores?

Utnapishtim banishes Urshanabi from ever returning to his shores, and orders Urshanabi to take Gilgamesh, “whose body is covered with foulness and the grace of whose limbs has been spoiled by wild skins” and to bring him to the “washing-place.”

Why did Utnapishtim seal the entrance to the ship?

Knowing that the oncoming flood would wipe out all life on Earth, Utnapishtim was told to quickly take his wife, relatives, some of the villagers, animals along with various grains and seeds and board the ship. The entrance to the ship was sealed once everyone had boarded it.