The biblical story of Job from the Old Testament

 

 

The biblical story of Job from the Old Testament is a story of a man who suffers terribly because God allows him to be tested by Satan. Job passes every test, but in the process, he loses everything dear to him, including his family. God rewards him in the end by giving him new property and a new family. Compare this conception of divine power with that of the gods in Gilgamesh, who are irritated with human beings and decide to destroy them all. What kind of “progress,” if any, can you see in the idea of the divine as “caring” for human beings? You might look at the nature of Utnapishtim’s reward in the end, and of Job’s. Moreover, human suffering is a major theme in the Hebrew Bible and in Gilgamesh. Through suffering, human beings can learn about the nature of reality and their place in it. Compare Job and Gilgamesh as suffering heroes, as they search for understanding, and come to accept the limits of their human condition. Use specific examples from both stories to support your ideas.

This question has been answered.

Get Answer