Cultural Diffusion In The Torah, The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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Within the world’s ancient past, lived ancient civilizations. Throughout ancient history, these civilizations each have a differing belief within a variation of sentient beings. Though when looking through each of these civilizations central beliefs and folklore of their cultures, you are able to see that certain key stories within each of these civilizations seem to show up in other cultures. This is known as cultural diffusion: when the stories of one civilization becomes apart of another civilization. Usually in a revisioned fashion to fit the needs of the civilization. This is best demonstrated through the recurring pattern of a worldwide deluge engulfing the planet within several works of ancient civilizations. Seen within “The Torah”, “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, and from a folklore tale about the God Vishnu. These stories could only have been passed along and refurbished if there were contacts with the other civilizations. This can be answered through trading between these civilizations. When civilizations trade with one another, this leads to a deeper bond between the civilizations. This causes for each civilization to learn more and understand the lifestyle of their neighbors. This, in turn, causes cultural diffusion and why the flood stories within the three stories I’ve recently listed each have similar action taking place. …show more content…

Therefore, the cultural diffusion between ancient civilizations caused for an overlap of stories to be told between one another and to later become reconditioned to fit the culture at hand