The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Apocalypse of The Book of Daniel

This paper aims to focus on The Epic of Gilgamesh to analyze it according to the genre of apocalypse. There are many apocalyptic texts which differ in the elements that classify them as an apocalyptic piece. Analyzing the Jewish apocalyptic text, especially the Book of Daniel, and the Mesopotamian apocalypses and presenting the elements that were influential in their classification, this paper sets to compare The Epic of Gilgamesh with the Jewish and Mesopotamian apocalypses to see whether the epic could be casted in any of these categories. Following that, the paper contends that despite some shared elements found in each of the apocalypses and The Epic of Gilgamesh, the epic could hardly be considered as an apocalypse; however, the shared elements between The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Book of Daniel have resulted in glaring similarities between the character of Gilgamesh and Nebuchadnezzar by portraying each as tyrannous monarchs bewitched by their lust for power and violence who, finally, receive due punishment for their deeds.

کلیدواژه ها:

The Epic of Gilgamesh ، Apocalypse ، The Book of Daniel ، Nebuchadnezzar.