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5212
Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 4, "The Near-Death Experience of a Sumerian King," pp. 82-84.
8
Weak Evidence
8
Low Compatibility
Polytheism, Deification of human
The near-death experience of Bilgames, as recounted in the ancient Sumerian poem, presents a complex case when analyzed for biblical compatibility. On a structural level, the narrative contains numerous elements that parallel the phenomenological descriptions found in modern NDEs, some of which resonate with biblical eschatology. The experience includes a clear sense of dying, a journey to a spiritual realm, encounters with both divine beings ("beings of light") and the spirits of the deceased (reunion with relatives), a form of life review where his deeds are evaluated by a divine council, and a return to the body with profound aftereffects. These archetypal components—judgment, spiritual encounters, and an otherworldly journey—are broadly consistent with a biblical framework that affirms post-mortem consciousness and divine judgment. The description of the Anuna as beings of "blinding, awe-inspiring radiance" is analogous to descriptions of angels or God's glory in the Bible.
However, despite these structural similarities, the theological content of Bilgames's experience places it in stark opposition to biblical doctrine, resulting in a "Low Compatibility" rating. The entire narrative is fundamentally polytheistic, involving a pantheon of Sumerian gods (Enki, Enlil, Utu) who deliberate and decide human fate. This directly contradicts the absolute monotheism that is the bedrock of biblical teaching. The most significant point of divergence is the outcome of the judgment. In the biblical view, a human soul is judged and assigned an eternal destiny in heaven or hell based on their faith and righteousness, but they remain distinctly human. In Bilgames's case, he is not merely judged but is deified. He is transformed into a lesser god, a divine governor and judge in the underworld, who rules alongside other deities. This concept of apotheosis, or a human becoming a god, is antithetical to the biblical understanding of the impassable distinction between Creator and creation.
The Sumerian poem "The Death of Bilgames" recounts what may be the world's earliest documented near-death experience, involving the historical king of Uruk, Bilgames (Gilgamesh), who reigned around 2700 BCE. The narrative describes a severe, life-threatening medical crisis where Bilgames falls gravely ill, "lying down, never to rise again." His condition is attributed to being "seized by Namtar, the footless and handless plague deity," indicating a catastrophic illness that rendered him completely incapacitated and on the verge of death. While on his deathbed, in this state of extreme physical distress, he experienced a profound vision. The text specifies a duration for this event, noting his return to his earthly body occurred after a "six-day absence," suggesting a prolonged period of unresponsiveness or coma that was perceived by others as death or near-death.
As Bilgames lay on his deathbed, he received a visionary message from Enki, the god of wisdom, who instructed him on the proper disposition for entering the underworld. He was told not to descend "with heart knotted in anger" but to find peace before Utu, the sun-god and judge. His journey then transitioned to a divine assembly where his ultimate fate was to be deliberated by the Anuna, a council of divine judges who are described as beings of light, "surrounded by a blinding, awe-inspiring radiance." This assembly conducted a form of life review, examining Bilgames's dual nature as two-thirds god and one-third man to determine his destiny. They evaluated his entire career, including his heroic deeds, his devotion to religious customs and temple foundations, and his epic quest to find Ziusudra (the flood hero) to learn the secret of eternal life. Before the final judgment, Bilgames was taken to a funerary banquet in the "Great City," where he experienced a reunion with numerous deceased relatives, including his parents, grandparents, and siblings. The narrative of Bilgames is mythological and does not contain veridical observations in the modern sense. The experience is entirely otherworldly. However, the account does contain elements of special knowledge and prophecy that were thematically significant. The core of the experience is the reception of knowledge about his own posthumous fate—that he would not simply perish but would be deified and become a judge in the underworld. After an absence of six days, Bilgames returned to his body, profoundly changed by the knowledge he had gained. His immediate actions were to prepare for the death he now understood. He arranged for his own tomb and organized for his harem and entourage to be sacrificed to accompany him, ensuring his royal court would remain with him in the underworld. |