The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest epic in history, reflects life as it was during the Early Bronze Age. Many of the themes revealed by the epic are still valuable today in that they can teach us about the society of yesteryear. Most importantly, the story of Gilgamesh teaches the reader how important the lessons of his experience are for future generations. Such as views on life and death and the pursuit of knowledge and immortality. The search for immortality has tormented the minds of men and women for millennia. However, Gilgamesh's quest for immortality is the result of tragedy. After the death of a great friend, Enkidu, Gilgamesh fears for his own mortal life. Gilgamesh, the hero-king of the Sumerian city of Uruk is two-thirds Gilgamesh said: “Because of my brother I fear death, because of my brother I wander in the desert and I cannot not rest” (101). I would infer that if Enkidu were still alive, Gilgamesh would have no fascination with finding eternal life. In other words, it seems that Gilgamesh never had time to think about immortality because he was satisfied with his life, as it was in Enkidu's time. In fact, in the second tablet, Enkidu tries to dissuade Gilgamesh from fighting Humbaba. Gilgamesh said: “So if I fall, I leave behind me a name that endures; men *will say of me: “Gilgamesh fell in battle against the fierce Humbaba” (71). Long before Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh worries about his inheritance rather than finding eternal life. In other words, he prefers to be immortal in the minds of his people rather than possess physical perpetuity. However, Enkidu's death marks a shift in this line of thinking as Gilgamesh is confronted with the personal reality of death. Although Enkidu and Gilgamesh reap the title and pinnacle of legacy by defeating Humbaba and killing the Bull of Heaven, when Gilgamesh is confronted with the reality of Enkidu's death, his words lose meaning as his actions prove it.