Comparing Gilgamesh And Genesis

1. One major similarity that seems obvious, but very outstanding, is that a flood is sent to earth with intentions to destroy creation. In Genesis 6:7 the Lord says, “I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created.” In the Epic of Gilgamesh in line 115-116, the gods send rain “submerging the mountain in water, / overwhelming the people like an attack.” It is glaring both stories are written concerning a great flood, but it is very significant that great floods come with the same intentions of destroying all living beings.

2. In both stories one man, of similar makeup, is entrusted with specific information about the coming flood. In the bible, the Lord calls upon Noah while in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utanapishtim is given authority

One major difference between the stories is in the story of the Bible, the Lord is the only god. However, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, there are multiple gods that make up the story. The Epic of Gilgamesh speaks of the “Assembly of the Gods”, “The hearts of the Great Gods”, and lists a few of the gods who hold minor pieces that add to the story. This minor fact changes the theology behind the story completely.

2. The size of the boat in each story of the flood differ as the dimensions are not the same as in length, width, and height. The size of the boat in the bible are noticeably bigger than the Epic of Gilgamesh. Also, the dimensions of the boat in the Epic of Gilgamesh add up to a square as in line 57 it states, “the sides of its top were of equal length.” The shape of the ark in Genesis 6:14-16 gives specific length, width, and height that gives the image of a rectangle.

3. The characters in the flood stories differ because after the Utanapishtim is called to build a boat, he is concerned about what people will say and think. In lines 35-36 Utanapishtim says, “But what shall I answer the city, the populace, and the / Elders!”. However, Noah never asks what he shall say to the people or does not even seem concerned about the rest of humanity. He simply agrees to the Lord’s request and builds the boat without any

I did not expect to come across another account of a different culture or religion with the same big picture as the story of Noah and the flood. In the beginning, I was not troubled because the important details of the story which hold great value were different. Also, I knew that Genesis was an oral tradition passed down for many of years before it was written down. I automatically assumed that the Epic of Gilgamesh was just a spin-off of the story of the flood; however, I realized the Epic of Gilgamesh is older than Genesis. This changed my opinion of the story because it if anything Genesis, the book of the bible that many Christians base their theology upon, has the possibility of being a spin-off of the polytheistic Epic of Gilgamesh. It troubles me because I do not believe that there could have been two floods, which makes me unsure of how to interpret this story in the