The gods in are very similar to the temporal kings and heroes who
serve them: powerful but not omnipotent or infallible and not always particularly wise.
Gilgamesh himself is two-thirds god and the gods interact with mortals on what are sometimes
surprisingly equal terms. Gilgamesh is able to reject Ishtar with impunity. Even her father Anu
will not help her by sending the Bull of Heaven against Gilgamesh until she threatens to raise
the dead. When the Bull of Heaven does attack Gilgamesh, he and Enkidu are able to defeat it,
and Enkidu shows the greatest disrespect to Ishtar by hurling the dead bull's body parts at
her.
The gods decide that Enkidu is marked for death. However, his arrogant
treatment of Ishtar does not seem to weigh with them in making their decision. He must die
because of his part in killing Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh, of course, also took
part in both these battles, but the gods are arbitrary. Shamash, the sun god, who
actually...
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