Report: Bible Snake versus Gilgamesh Snake

The purpose of this report is to analyze the differences of the Serpent of the Bible and the Snake of The Epic of Gilgamesh. While you might not think they have anything in common, there are some things from Gilgamesh that are in fact in the Bible. The main thing that this report will be focusing on is how the snake from the Bible (B.Snake), and Gilgamesh (G.Snake), are different or the same.

First, the biggest difference is that the B.Snake is actively thinking, attempting to trick Adam and Eve to eating one. While the B.Snake’s motives are for doing this is shaky at best, it is obvious the snake was the prime factor of tricking Eve into taking an apple. Meanwhile, the G.Snake had the intelligence of a beast, simply sensing the beauty and power of the flower as Gilgamesh lay down to rest. The G.Snake slithered out to steal it, and after successfully doing so, shed its skin and (implicated that) it gained eternal life. It wasn’t attempting to stop eternal life for man, but was instead only eating for itself.

The next difference is that the B.Snake is punished for having done so. Upon God finding out what was done, He punishes the people with death and pain, and removes the legs of the B.Snake as well as cursing it and all other creatures with death. However, in Gilgamesh, it is (implicated that) the G.Snake is rewarded with eternal life, as shown by it immediately shedding its skin. The G.Snake was rewarded for stealing from a man, while the B.Snake was punished for stealing from God.

Another difference is that those in the Bible who’ve had eternal life removed are not grateful, only remembering the promise of life eternal and hating upon the ones that had removed it from them, which was B.Snake. But in Gilgamesh, the great hero himself realizes that eternal life is just for the gods, and feeds the snake with a bit of his own provisions before deciding to not attempt the journey to get another flower. Gilgamesh shows a complete lack of malice towards the G.Snake who stole his promise of eternal life, while those in the Bible show hatred and mistrust from then on to all of B.Snake’s kin.

Another main difference is that the B.Snake is directly entwined with the tree of knowledge, easily able to work on taking away the eternal life of the people. It is commonly asserted that the snake was on a middle branch of the tree, able to meet its ‘prey’ eye to eye, be it mouse or man. On the other hand, the G.Snake was in a well a journey away, unable to have been waiting for it’s time. The G.Snake also slithers from a hole at the bottom of the well, unable to meet the common man’s eyes but able to meet the resting Gilgamesh.

However, in both the Bible and in Gilgamesh, the main thing is that the snake, whether meaningful or not, removes the promise of eternal life straight from the grasp of men and exchanges it for knowledge of good and evil, life and death, hope and despair. The main part of this is that the B.Snake is thinking, and would know it’s death would come anyway, while the G.Snake was of primal intelligence, and thereby would live forever in it’s mind, meaning that only the G.Snake would be unaffected by it’s new found source of eternal life, while thinking snakes and men would have to change significantly.