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  • Essay / How to Let Our Dreams Come True

    IntroductionDreams and visions convey the inevitable in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Bible because they overcome all efforts to prevent them and are sent by the gods . In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character's desperate attempts to alter the dreams and thus the destiny of his friend Enkidu are ultimately futile. After Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull of Heaven in battle, the gods decide that he must die in retaliation and decide on Enkidu's choice (122). In a dream, Enkidu sees this decision and tells Gilgamesh about it, to which the king responds: "Now I will go and pray to the great gods, I will make your image an image of gold beyond measure" ( 123). In this assurance, Gilgamesh promises to plead for Enkidu's life and detail his many positive attributes to the gods with the intention of changing his destiny.Say No to Plagiarism Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not be forbidden”?Get the original essayUnfortunately, the king's efforts are in vain, as Enkidu falls ill and dies, after twelve days (126). Gilgamesh's pleas for his friend's life can do nothing in the face of Enkidu's unchanging destiny compared to Joseph's dreams in the Hebrew Bible. comes true despite his brothers' attempts to stop them. Joseph is Jacob's youngest and most beloved son, his privileged status acting as a source of discord between him and his brothers. While working, Joseph recounts two of his dreams: this one. in the fields, the brothers' sheaves "turned and bowed before [his] sheaf" (174) and that "the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowed before [him]" (174). Joseph's dreams revolve around his superiority over his siblings and parents, predicting his future rule over them. The dreams outrage Jacob's other sons and they decide to sell Joseph to get rid of him, hoping that his absence alone will prevent the dreams from coming true (175). However, after being sold, Joseph eventually gains a high position in his new homeland, Egypt, and when God causes a famine on the land, the Pharaoh tasks Joseph with allocating resources to the people (178). Hoping to receive food, Joseph's brothers go to Egypt and "[bow] down before him with their faces to the ground," (179), thus fulfilling the prediction of Joseph's dream. Ultimately, the brothers betray each other and fulfill Joseph's dreams by submitting to his authority, showing that none of their efforts could have prevented the dreams' fate. The dreams sent to Gilgamesh by Shamash to Gilgamesh correctly predict the outcome of his battle against Humbaba due to the omniscient nature of the gods. During Enkidu and Gilgamesh's journey to defeat the beast Humbaba, Gilgamesh, seeking divine guidance, climbs a mountain and asks: "'O mountain, bring me an auspicious dream!' (110). His calling attests to his belief that the gods will not only send him dreams, but will send him dreams that predict the future. Enkidu acts as interpreter of the messages the gods send to Gilgamesh, recounting battle scenes in which the bull Humbaba “cracks the earth” (113) and “raises clouds of dust” (113). Later, in battle, “the earth split” (115) at the beast’s feet and “the white clouds became black” (115). These close parallels highlight the prophetic abilities of the gods, validating their ability to show the future through dreams. Introduction (about dreams that come true because they are sent by God) In Abraham's vision of God, He promises: "to your descendants I will give this land" (162), forming a covenant that gives Israel to the descendants of Abraham...