Sex in "Genesis" and the "Epic of Gilgamesh"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how the principal difference between the use of sexuality in "Genesis" and the "Epic of Gilgamesh" is that in the former it is part of the curse of suffering and mortality while in the latter it precedes mortality -- literally. In both cases sex is domesticated, in the sense that it is necessary for procreation and the continuation of the human race. And in both cases sex is also domesticating, in the sense of being an agent of domestication. The writer explains that there is an enormous difference between the role of sexual relations in the account of the domestication of Enkidu and in the Biblical account of the sin of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Eden; in the former it is a powerful human urge that can lead to advances in human civilization and in the latter it is something that humanity must overcome.

From the Paper:

"Sex is far more incidental in the Gilgamesh epic than it is in the Book of Genesis in that while sexual relations can be a source of controversy -- as in Ishtar's frustration over Gilgamesh -- it is not repeatedly shown to be a source of conflict and an occasion of sin as it is in Genesis. The murderous sexual jealousy of Potiphar's wife resembles that of Ishtar in some ways but it takes place on the level of human-human interaction that has little to do with the kind of divine-human interaction that is central to Gilgamesh. In Genesis the all-powerful, ungendered god creates humanity and gives it free will which allows it to make mistakes in choosing between serving god and offending 'him.' But the god of Genesis is always interested in what happens to his people and wants them to persevere and win out. In the Gilgamesh epic the gods are largely indifferent to the fates of human beings whom they have created as servants and human procreation is just an ingenious means of perpetuating this race of servants. When the gods decide that Enkidu, and all humanity, must be mortal, however, there is no essential connection between this fact and the fact of human sexuality. This is not the case in Genesis."

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