for a good life known from Ecclesiastes (9: 7-9). This theory was originally formed by Bruno Meissner in 1902. It is still supported by some researchers today, for example Nili Samet. However, a direct connection between these two texts is not universally accepted in Biblical studies, and Samet acknowledges it has been often argued that both passages simply reflect "a common theme in world literature." Andrew R. George notes that the content of both passages is similar, but finds a direct connection unlikely, as the alewife only offers Gilgamesh advice in Old Babylonian fragments, but not in the later versions of the epic. Martin Litchfield West proposed that the encounter between Gilgamesh and the alewife in the Old Babylonian version inspired the meeting between Circe and Odysseus in the Odyssey. He incorrectly referred to Šiduri as portrayed in the Epic of Gilgamesh as a "form of Ishtar" to try to reconcile the differences between her and Circe, especially the association with wild animals exhibited only by the former. Andrew R. George disagrees with West's proposals regarding direct connections between the myths of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey and considers it implausible that Greek authors were familiar with the standard Babylonian edition of the latter. He notes it is more likely that Greeks were influenced by a western, Phoenician literary tradition, which unlike Mesopotamian cuneiform texts does not survive, making it impossible to evaluate if among the stories passed on to Greeks this way were any versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh. He also points out that in some cases similarities between these texts might be the result of reliance on similar mythologems rather than direct influence of one on the other. George's position regarding the connections between Greek and Mesopotamian literature is also supported by Gary Beckman. References Bibliography Mesopotamian goddesses Wisdom goddesses Hurrian deities Characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh