Value

Near Eastern literature definitely has importance in today’s contemporary society. Although much of the text we have read was written thousands of years ago, most of the themes touched upon and lessons taught still have much import today. While our surroundings and lifestyles may be incredibly different now, humans are still humans; it seems our flaws and other tendencies have not changed so much in the past few thousand years, as many of the issues and problems faced in the stories we have read this semester closely parallel those seen in the modern world.

Mesopotamian literature is quite entertaining, and it is very interesting to try to get a glimpse of the kind of social and cultural ideas these people practiced through their mythology and stories. The Holy Bible is perhaps one of the most widely read and known pieces of literature in the world today, so at least some knowledge of its lessons and themes is surely prudent for many conversations, people owe it to themselves to some extent to have a little knowledge of the bible’s stories in order to be able to fully appreciate a great deal of our popular culture today. Many of the lessons to be learned in the Bible especially are applicable to our everyday lives, and while some things we have read would seem outlandish or obscene in today’s society, the morals taught and lessons learned from the stories can benefit everyone. I am not religious and am not trying to preach Christianity, but many of the stories give guidelines on how to be a good person in general that even the most adamant atheist can recognize some value.

Ultimately, these texts are part of our history, and anything that can be taken from previous human experience that can be applied to help in our endeavors today is surely valuable. I have thoroughly enjoyed the readings and discussions in this class, and I certainly have gained a great deal more perspective on the parables and writings of the ancient Near East.