He tells Gilgamesh about the thorny plant that grows beneath the waves called How-the-Old-Man-Once-Again-Becomes-a-Young-Man. Utnapishtim says he will tell Gilgamesh one of the gods’ secrets. What is the secret of life that Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh? If you think you can stay alive for eternity, he says, surely you can stay awake for a week. When Gilgamesh insists that he be allowed to live forever, Utnapishtim gives him a test. Men would die, but humankind would continue. Utnapishtim was rewarded with eternal life. Though now immortal, he lives a straightforward life relaxing far from civilization. He listened to the dream in which Ea told him to build a great ship before the flood, and spent a great deal of time and effort to protect his family. What kind of life did Utnapishtim has lived?
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