In looking at the character of Gilgamesh through the epic of Gilgamesh, it becomes clear what traits the ancient Sumerians must have valued in their heroes.It is very clear that strength and daring must have been valued by the ancient Sumerians. Gilgamesh is a very strong and daring man. He has superhuman strength and he is quick to get into battles and he tends to triumph in fighting. He is also always going on adventures. He even undertakes a perilous quest to find eternal life, which shows a very adventurous nature.
Friendship and loyalty are clearly values that drive Gilgamesh as a hero, so it would stand to reason these values must have resonated with ancient Sumerians. Gilgamesh shares a deep friendship with Enkidu and grieves spectacularly at his death. It’s Enkidu’s death that spurs Gilgamesh on his quest for eternal life. Friendship is a central theme in this tale, so it must have been something the Sumerians valued highly.
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Finally, it is clear the Sumerians must value the ability to build things that last. At the end of the tale, Gilgamesh returns to Uruk and talks about how great the city walls he built were. Since the Sumerians believe only suffering awaits in the afterlife, there is clearly an idea that leaving a lasting legacy on earth is what is most important. So through Gilgamesh, it is clear that one of the most important things in Sumerian culture is to build, create, and leave a magnificent legacy while on earth because that is the only way one can truly become immortal.
It is interesting to contrast the values embodied by Hebrew people to the Sumerian heroes. In the tale of Noah’s arc, Noah is pious and obedient to his God and also not very violent. This is evidenced by the fact he follows God’s directions to make an arc and is one of the few on Earth to not succumb to violence. So the Hebrews valued piousness and obedience. However, Gilgamesh is rebellious and defies the gods, even spurning the Goddess Ishtar. It is clear the Sumerians value being adventurous over the obedience valued by the Hebrew people.
