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Roles Of The Serpent In Gilgamesh And The Bible

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Serpents play vital but vastly different roles in Gilgamesh and the Bible. In Gilgamesh, the serpent is ultimately a source of good. After a long and perilous quest, Gilgamesh secures an herb that will, if not make him immortal, restore his youth. He hasn’t yet used it when the snake steals it. Some interpreters suggest that he wanted to “test” the herb on the elders of Uruk first, while others, giving him the benefit of the doubt, say that he was being a good king by wanting to share it with his subjects before enjoying it himself. Though the snake robs Gilgamesh and his people of their chance to enjoy eternal youth, its action also convinces Gilgamesh to end his quest and restores Gilgamesh’s sanity. In this way, the snake is his benefactor.

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