This is a good presentation on the Epic of Gilgamesh. I've always heard about it but I've never really knew the story. It's amazing to me just how close it sounds like an OT Bible story.
One thing that is illuminating to about this story and other non-biblical myths is learning that the characters make mistakes and have faults. That may seem odd to you but growing up as a fundamentalist I was taught by pastors and other fundie leaders that the difference between Bible stories and myths is that in the Bible the characters make mistakes. They're not perfect. Supposedly all other myths show their characters as being perfect superman that never do anything wrong. Because of this "fact", the bible stories must be historical because nobody would make up religious stories that showed their characters in a bad light.
One thing that is illuminating to about this story and other non-biblical myths is learning that the characters make mistakes and have faults. That may seem odd to you but growing up as a fundamentalist I was taught by pastors and other fundie leaders that the difference between Bible stories and myths is that in the Bible the characters make mistakes. They're not perfect. Supposedly all other myths show their characters as being perfect superman that never do anything wrong. Because of this "fact", the bible stories must be historical because nobody would make up religious stories that showed their characters in a bad light.
My ignore list
"The lord doesn't work in mysterious ways, but in ways that are indistinguishable from his nonexistence."
-- George Yorgo Veenhuyzen quoted by John W. Loftus in The End of Christianity (p. 103).
"The lord doesn't work in mysterious ways, but in ways that are indistinguishable from his nonexistence."
-- George Yorgo Veenhuyzen quoted by John W. Loftus in The End of Christianity (p. 103).
