Gilgamesh and the Russia and United States Meeting

Posted on October 11, 2010 by miosotis.cruzfernandez

The New York Times article “Gates to Meet with Russian Defense Minister” is about the meeting between Russia’s defense minister and the defense secretary for the United States in the effort of bringing better solutions to the army of both countries. As ironic as might seem the United States and Russia at a point in history are enemies that fight each other at war, and just after this incident is when the two countries begin diplomatic talks;       “It has been almost six years since a Russian defense minister set foot inside the Pentagon, and when Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates devotes Wednesday to hosting his Kremlin counterpart, Anatoly E. Serdyukov, they are expected to find common ground on a topic that would have been unimaginable during the cold war.” (The New York Times)

 In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the two main characters experience similar situation to the one experience by Russia and the United States. After Gilgamesh and Enkidu engage in a fight, this two become devoted and inseparable friends;           “Enkidu blocked the entry to the marital chamber, and would not allow Gilgamesh to be brought in. They grappled with each other at the entry to the marital chamber, in the street they attacked each other, and […] they kissed each other and become friends.” (A, pp. 66-67)

The symbolical fight I elect to highlight in both readings draws the similarity between The New York Times article and the Epic of Gilgamesh, where this fight does not separate the United States and Russia as well as Gilgamesh and Enkidu, instead just bring them together as never before.

Thom Shanker and Michael Schwirtz. “Gates to Meet With Russian Defense Minister” The New York Times. Web September 14, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/world/europe/15military.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=thom%20shanker%20and%20michael%20schwirtz&st=cse>

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The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Book of Genesis

Posted on October 11, 2010 by miosotis.cruzfernandez

The Book of Genesis and The Epic of Gilgamesh narrate two different stories. Genesis describes the creation of earth and all leaving things in it by the almighty God, and Gilgamesh recounts the life and adventures of a king named Gilgamesh and the people around him that one way or another have an impact on his kingdom. Although these two books recite two different stories, there are some similarities within themself. For instances, in Gilgamesh there is the account of a “flood” to terminate all humankind from earth, and so does Genesis. There is one more similarity between this two books and that’s the one I like to focus on.

In Genesis, God tells the human and his woman they can eat everything they like except from one specific tree in the garden of Eden;                 “From every fruit of the garden you may surely eat. But from the tree of knowledge, good and evil, you shall not eat.” (A, 30)

In Genesis the “tree of Knowledge” is just a symbol and it represents the unknown, all that is unacquainted to the human and his woman. In Genesis, the temptation for the unknown is represented by a “serpent” which in the story persuades the woman to eat from the tree; “And the serpent said to the woman; “You shall not be doomed to die. For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will become as gods knowing good and evil.” And the woman saw the tree […] that it was lust to the eyes […] and she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave to her man, and he ate. And the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew they were naked.” (A, 31)

 Right after the human and his woman eat from the tree of Knowledge all that it’s unfamiliar to them suddenly becomes acquainted, now they know good and evil. Before the human and his woman eat from the tree all they know is good, but after acquiring knowledge they are aware of themselves and everything around them.

 There is a personage in Gilgamesh named Enkidu, who experiences something similar to the human and his woman in Genesis. Enkidu is created by Aruru (mother goddess) as a wild man who knows nothing else but the wilderness;            “In the wilderness she created valiant Enkidu, born of Silence, […] he knew neither people nor settled living […] he ate grasses with gazelles, and jostled at the watering hole with the animals; as with animals, his thirst was slaked with water.” (A, 61)

Enkidu has no knowledge about what’s around him except for the animals and the wildness. Ones Enkidu is exposed to the “unknown” and “temptation”, which in the Epic of Gilgamesh is represented by a woman and the task of womankind (sex), everything that is unacquainted to Enkidu suddenly becomes familiar. Enkidu becomes aware of himself and his surroundings, he is more like a god now, he knows good and he knows evil;                    “Shamhat unclutched her bosom, exposed her sex, and he took in her voluptuousness. […] she performed for the primitive the task of womankind. […] Enkidu had intercourse with the harlot until he was sated with her charms. But when he turned his attention to his animals, the gazelles saw Enkidu and darted off, the wild animals distanced themselves from his body. […] But then he drew himself up, for his understanding had broadened. […] The harlot said to Enkidu: “You are beautiful, Enkidu, you are become like a god.” […] What she kept saying found favor within him. Becoming aware of himself, he sought a friend.” (A, 63)

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The Book of Job and the Leader of Ethiopia

Posted on October 11, 2010 by miosotis.cruzfernandez

The Book of Job narrows the story of a man named Job. In the story Job is a man like no other in earth, irreproachable and honest who devotes his entirely life to serve and does as God says;               “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil.” (A, 126)

            Though Job is a blameless man and has never sin, God allows him to suffer and to endure a great deal of sorrows;                         “And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power; only spare his life.” So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and afflicted Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (A, 127) 

 Job knows deep in his heart he has never done anything against God’s will to justify his mistreatment by God. He refuses to believe he has done something wrong to deserve his punishment;            “If I have made gold my trust, or called fine gold my confidence; if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, […] and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand; this also should be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I should have been false to God above.” (A, 134)

            Birtukan Mideksa, a leader and activist in Ethiopia, finds herself in a similar position as Job. She is sentenced to life in prison by the authorities of her country, but she refuses to believe and to acknowledge any wrong doing, because she knows deed in her heart she has not done anything wrong and the accusations are untrue;               “She was imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and association,” said Michelle Kagari, the organization’s deputy Africa director.” (The New York Times)

               The Associated Press. “Senior Opposition Leader in Ethiopia Is Released From Prison” The New York Times. Web October 6, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/world/africa/07ethiopia.html?_r=1&ref=africa>

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The Odyssey and the Miners

Posted on October 11, 2010 by miosotis.cruzfernandez

The Odyssey narrates the days of the king of Ithaca, the great hero Odysseus. In the story Odysseus is kept captive and away from his home for many years. Odysseus endures a really long journey and he has to survive endless ordeals in order to return home to his waiting wife, Penelope, and his son Telemachus;     “Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twist and turns driven time and again off course, […] many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. […] But one man alone… his heart set on his wife and his return.” (A, 259)

            Similar to the ordeals Odysseus suffers, are the ordeals encounter by the 33 miners trap for more than two months beneath the earth in Chile. These miners are kept away from home and their love ones enduring a physical and mental challenge by being trap beneath the earth with little room, air and food. Like Odysseus, these miners are setting their hearts to overcome and do everything they can to make sure they come back home with their families;              “There have been hard moments, beautiful moments, sad moments, moments filled with happiness, nights where we were cold here,” said Juan Sánchez, 48, the father of Jimmy Sánchez, the youngest of the trapped miners. “But we just kept going, trusting in God that this would all work out. Right now all I feel is happiness; it’s like calm has come over us.” (The New York Times)

Alexei Barrio Nuevo and Christine Hauser.  “Drill Reaches Miners in Chile, but Risks Remain.” The New York Times. Web October 09, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/world/americas/10chile.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=miners&st=cse>

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NYT/Job

Posted on October 9, 2010 by aleksandra.cybulska

In the book of Job is the story of the ultimate test. Job is a man who contently lives with many blessings and is very righteous with God.  “ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil” (BOJPg.126).  After a talk with Satan, God agrees to allow him to take everything precious to Job away from him to prove that no matter the misfortune bestowed upon him he will not curse God or speak his name in vain. After enduring the heartbreak of losing everything he ever had Job still does not speak poorly of God and for this he is rewarded with gaining everything back. ”I have kept his way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured in my bosom the words of his mouth” (BOJPg.132/21). The fact that Job does not blame God for his tragedy is similar to the story of one unfortunate woman from Haiti who is mentioned in the New York Times article Haitians Cry in Letters-‘Please-Do Something!’.

The Haitian earthquake was a devastating tragedy that destroyed millions of lives. Those who were lucky enough to survive lost all their belongings and more unfortunately lost their families including spouses and children. In the New York Times article, many homeless Haitians who are living in camps only have hope in writing letters to nongovernment agencies seeking any assistance they can get. One might think that after suffering such a terrible loss a person might easily question and doubt God and his doings. That is not the case with one Haitian woman who lost her husband and her home. In the article she is quoted as saying, “I give glory to God that I am still alive-but I would like to stay that way” (NYT9/19). Similar to Job, she does not curse God for her loss and misfortune but actually praises him for her survival.

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Flaws in Gods and the Great Cities

Posted on October 6, 2010 by

Within Genesis and The Epic of Gilgemesh the role that the cities play in both ties these two stories together. In Epic of Gilgemesh there is Urik a great city built with all the amenities in the world and protected by the great wall made of trees from the forest of Humbaba and in Genesis there is the Shinar city built with a large tower to reach the heavens.

Tied to the comparison of the cities is the flaws in the gods of both tales. In the Epic of Gilgemesh there are numerous gods that have many human characteristics taking away from there godly figure and making them seen more of a higher class human. In Gilgemesh there is the God Ishtar who in fear of Gilgemesh and Enkidu sends the Bull of Heaven to kill them “Father give me the Bull of Heaven so he can kill Gilgemesh in his dwelling. If you do not give me the Bull.. I will knock down the Gates of the Netherworld.” here you can as see that Ishtar comes off a little bit childish and bratty to his more authoritative father. Near the end of Genesis there is something that God says that brings him down to a human plato. When God sees the city with the large tower God’s responds with fear of the capabilities human possess as seen in Chapter 11 “the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the human creatures had built. And the Lord said, “As one people with one language for all, if this is what have begun to do, nothing they plot will elude them” God continues and separates the city and cuts there ability to communicate with each other.

Even though there is large similarities between both tale’s storyline, the way both are written has much to compare. The most common comparison is the amount of repetition each story had. The repetition is used to emphasize, in the case of Gilgemesh he uses it when describing his adventures and past experiences and in Genesis it is used to link hertiage.

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Connection with the Book of Job

Posted on October 6, 2010 by tsheten

An article in the times discusses about the idled NATO supply trucks that were attacked again by the militants and criminals in the border of Pakistan. The truck that contains supplies for the NATO troops in Afghanistan. There have been several attacks and even a driver killed but the truck drivers still move on to deliver the supplies. But now, the trucks have now been stalled for the sixth day on the 5th of October 2010. The Senior Superintendent of police of Islamabad said that, “this is a private business and they have their own security.” No matter how dangerous it is the drivers are still in the effort to deliver the goods and supplies. They do not complain the NATO about the trouble they have bringing the goods. The militants and criminals of Afghanistan are the Satan, similar to the story in the Book of Job.

In the Book of Job, Job is one wealthy and happy man who is truly devoted to God. He has all the things that a human needs in his life: a happy family, wealth, properties and cattle’s and many other things. When Satan asks god to find out how Job’s devotion was, he was allowed to test him. “But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” ( 1:11 ). All the wealth that he had was taken away from him, but still he is truly devoted. And Satan said “But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face” (2:5 ). Then he is given illness and still he is devoted to the god the same he was before. “What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”(2:10). i find it be the similar case of the article because the attacker of the trucks (Satan) took away all the goods and supplies and also killed one of the drivers, but they are still in the progress of delivering the supplies.

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Stem cells and Job

Posted on October 6, 2010 by

In the recent years there have been many scientific movement that have evolved the way we live today. One that has been show great results but mostly banned is the research of using stem cells. Stem cells can benefit areas as in diabetes and Parkinsons. In the New York Times article “Stem Cells in Court, Scientists Fear for Careers” shows stem cell researchers have all the abilities to practice the trades taken away during the Bush Administration and regains them very briefly as soon as President Obama is put into office. Recently the Federal District Court has ruled differently from President Obama and has made it difficult to tell the future of stem cell research. Similar to the tale of Job, an honest man who has so much and thanks God for all of his success, but through no fault of his own is stripped of all his goods. The main similarities between Job and the Stem Cell researchers is the lack of fault, they are both subject to the rule of higher powers.

Another comparison is the people suffering from the lose of others. When God chooses to take everything from Job, not only does Job suffer but his family also is put through misery as can be seen  in Chapter 2  when Job’s wife is tired of what is going on and tells Job to “curse God and die” (P.127). Compared to the Times article the future researches that are coming into the field were threatened that they would have no career when they get out of college. Their lives would not have the same purpose in helping other find cures for people. The New York Times reports “Junior scientists like Dr. Spence, poised to start their own laboratories, are caught in limbo. Senior scientists like Dr. Wells are torn between pursuing research they believe in and protecting students from staking their job prospects on projects they may never be able to complete.” a clear example careers  and lives are at stake.

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Unsure

Posted on October 5, 2010 by

The day before the inauguration of President Obama, another man was put into office, but not the Presidential Office, the office at Mercury Radio Arts on 6th Ave is where the Glenn Beck aired his first show on Fox News. In less then 6 months Glenn Beck had 2.6 million views making it the #1 watched news show. With this new power Beck has become the face of the Fox News, the Tea Party, Mercury Radio and voice of so many people. Similar to Beck stand alone characteristics, there is Gilgemesh the great King of Urik a man of great pride and excellence. Two men of such large stature that able to be heard and known for there large power.

Within Fox News, Glenn Beck gets a large amount of criticism for the messages he spreads on the network, recently his lost 200 thousand viewers within a couple of months, people at the network have largely disagreed with his ideals. Numerous companies have made note to Fox News not to air their advertisements during his time slot because of his discredited broadcast. The New York Times says

“While Beck’s personal ventures and exposure have soared this year, his television ratings have declined sharply — perhaps another factor in the network’s impatience. His show now averages two million viewers, down from a high of 2.8 million in 2009, according to the Nielsen Ratings. And as of Sept. 21, 296 advertisers have asked that their commercials not be shown on Beck’s show (up from 26 in August 2009). Fox also has a difficult time selling ads on “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Fox and Friends” when Beck appears on those shows as a guest. Beck’s show is known in the TV sales world as “empty calories,” meaning he draws great ratings but is toxic for ad sales. If nothing else, I sensed that people around Fox News have grown weary after months of “It’s all about Glenn.

Beck is losing support from all sides for his self interest, similar to the lose of support that Gilgemesh gets when his men complain of him to the gods. Through the journey of Glenn Beck’s career there is a recent point where it seem that his actions have caught up with him, and seems unsure has become of him, his show and its consequences. Gilgemesh faces a crossroad just like Beck where Gilgemesh travels to because this is the first he encounters the idea that he isn’t the immortal King of Urik but a human and is responsible for his own actions, in The Epic of Gilgemesh you can see this where it says “Enkidu, my friend, whom I love deeply, who went through every hard ship with me, the father of mankind has overtaken him… I began to fear death, and so roam the wilderness”.

Unlike Gilgemesh, Beck did not chose to change and continues his program in the same way.

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Book Of Job comparison

Posted on October 4, 2010 by wchen

Job is a righteous man who receives many misfortunes. His wife and friends question why God inflict such misfortune on Job. Eliphaz of Temanite said “Is it any pleasures to the Almighty if you are righteous…” meaning that Job should not always try to be righteous. Job’s friends tries to convince Job to rebel against God like Syrians are rebelling against their government’s ban on certain websites. The New York Times Article “Online Media Taste Free Inside Syria, and It’s Bitter” describes the restriction on the media by the government.  According to the article, “Walk into almost any of the many internet cafes in Damascus, and the manager will show you how to log on to Facebook or other banned sites.”(New York Times P. A18) Similar to how  Job’s friends try to convince Job to rebel against God for his misfortunes, Syrians are rebelling against the government ban by finding ways around the ban.

Due to the existence of rebellious tendencies, there exists some means of silencing those with opinions that don’t match the opinions of those with power. The New York Times states that “A number of bloggers have been arrested for expressing views deemed critical of the Syrian government” thus making the bloggers example of those who criticize the government. Job’s friends were silenced with the descent of God and God saying he can do whatever he wants because he can “send forth lightening” (A, 136) amongst other acts that humans cannot perform. God also states that humans should not try to understand or question his actions.

Online Media Taste Free Inside Syria, and It’s Bitter (September 30, 2010 A6, A18) 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/world/middleeast/30syria.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=online%20media%20taste%20bitter&st=cse

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