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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why is Nergal sent to the Underworld?
(a) He is to send a message to Namtar from the gods about respect.
(b) He is to judge the activities of the gods.
(c) He is to sacrifice himself to make amends for offending Namtar.
(d) He is to be whipped by Namtar.

2. What threat does Ishtar use when addressing the gatekeeper of the Underworld?
(a) She will force Ereshkigal to leave her throne.
(b) She will make the dead rise to prey on the living.
(c) She will kill Namtar.
(d) She will not allow another soul to pass through the gates.

3. What is Ishtar's relationship to Ereshkigal?
(a) Sisters.
(b) Mother and daughter.
(c) Lovers.
(d) Cousins.

4. On what medium where these myths originally found?
(a) Tapestries.
(b) Tablets.
(c) Paintings.
(d) Pottery.

5. What happens to the plant Gilgamesh took from the Apsu?
(a) It is lost in a storm.
(b) It is eaten by Gilgamesh in a trick from Ishtar.
(c) It is stolen by a snake.
(d) It is stolen by Ishtar.

Short Answer Questions

1. What god is sacrificed in order to create man?

2. How long does Enki believe the flood will last?

3. In the Armana version, what does Nergal do to Namtar when he reaches the final door to the Underworld?

4. What is unique about the plant Gilgamesh retrieves from the Apsu?

5. What reason does Ut-napishtium (or Atrahasis) give Gilgamesh for why only he is allowed to be immortal?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the fates of Dumuzi and Belili explain the seasons and rituals of Mesopotamia?

2. What remedies are offered after the flood to help control the population of the world?

3. How does Ishtar gain entrance into the Underworld?

4. What arrangement is made for Ishtar's release from the Underworld?

5. What must Namtar avoid doing while in the Underworld serving out his punishment?

6. How does Shamhat force Enkidu to meet Gilgamesh?

7. For what reasons does Enkidu die?

8. How does Enkidu escape from the Underworld on an alternate tablet?

9. What are some ways that Ellil punished mankind before the flood?

10. Describe the purpose and function of some of the many different features of this book.

(see the answer keys)

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