What Are The Similarities Between Gilgamesh And The Bible

Although the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Biblical book of Genesis both tell of a worldwide flood which nearly annihilates mankind, each account has several additional similarities as well as distinct differences that include the reason of the elimination of humanity, the occupants of the ark, and the duration of the flood.

One begins to find parallels in the narrations within the first few sentences. The Biblical God is infuriated by the wickedness of mankind, while the Babylonian gods are annoyed by the lack of sleep due to the growing population of raucous humans. In either case, the supreme being, or beings, of the tales come to the same conclusion: to extinguish the human race.

In each story, one man (Noah of the Bible and Utnapishtim

Utnapishtim’s flood lasted for six days and nights until the seventh day when the barque is trapped on Mount Nisir. After the waters seem to have diminished, Utnapishtim sends out two birds, a dove and a swallow in consecutive days, but these creatures return to the safety of the ark. Finally, a raven is sent out and does not return to him signaling that the earth was ready to be re-inhabited. On the other hand, Noah and his family are forced to remain in the ark for forty days and nights in addition to an extra one-hundred and ten days waiting for the floodwaters to subside while grounded on Mouth Ararat. Like Utnapishtim, Noah also sent out birds to survey the drenched earth. But unlike his counterpart, Noah sent out four birds, a raven on the first day, a dove the second, and then waited seven days before sending out a second dove which returned the to the ark with an olive branch in its beak. Finally, Noah sent a last dove which did not return, allowing Noah and his family to begin repopulating the

Directly after exiting the ark, the men erected an alter and presented sacrifices to their god. The Biblical God and the Babylonian gods are pleased by the sweet aroma of the offerings. While the goddess Ishtar swears to Utnapishtim by a cherished lazuli necklace that the gods would forever remember the devastation caused by the flood, the God of the Bible promised Noah in Genesis 9: 13 that He would never flood the earth with a worldwide flood ever again and sealed his promise with Noah and all his descendants with a rainbow. Noah and his offspring went on to replenish the earth’s population while Utnapishtim and his wife were given the eternal positions as the caretakers of the river