Religious Blog Assessment - Assignment Example

The story of Gigamesh however may need some clarification because it is told in allegory. Meaning, its story must not be taken literally. The narration that the tree of youth was stolen from Gigamesh by a snake must be interpreted beyond the taking of the tree of life but rather as a symbolic meaning that there is no such thing as physical immortality and that it can only be achieved by doing good so that one will be remembered and that the gods will receive him or her in the heavens.

The obvious influence of culture in the text is its terminology and semantics.  Certain elements are also added such as the environment due to the cultural background of the text.  In the philosophy of Ubuntu, for example, the term sounded Afrikaan because it came from Africa but the “quality of being human” of which the term meant is universal.  The same principle can be found in other cultures albeit the term may change. Ubuntu’s oft-repeated: "Ubuntu ngumtu ngabanye abantu" which meant ("A person is a person through other people") (Flippin) has its equivalent in Confucian society as do unto others as others would do unto you but the term changed for it to have an African origin.

In the story of Gigamesh, the terms also changed as well as the theme. Note that Gigamesh went to the wilderness to find Utnapishtim who is the equivalent of Jewish and Christian Noah. But of course, he will not be called as such because the story of Gigamesh is not Christian or Judaism by nature and being such narrates a story that reflects close kinship to nature as expected of Africans instead of Christian’s theology of resurrection. So it spoke of a tree of youth as a source of immortality instead of Jesus Christ among Christians.