The Creation Story…of Genesis from Gilgamesh Discovered in the nineteenth century, The Epic of Gilgamesh is claimed to be one of the world’s oldest surviving pieces of literature. It details the life of a historical figure, Gilgamesh, the king who reigned over the Sumerian city-state of Uruk around 2700 B.C.E. (Britannica). He exemplifies the hardships of a supremely strong man that must accept his mortality while still trying to find meaning in his life. In contrast, the first five books of the Bible that were written before Christ (B.C.), the Pentateuch, recount the prophecies of the Son of God to come – fully divine and fully man. The first five books of the Old Testament were “written by Moses during the forty years that the children …show more content…
In both tales, the extent of each flood was global, and their causes are related: man’s wickedness or man’s sin. Because of their global extent and the general understanding of all of humankind being sinners, one can comprehend that both were intended for all beings of the Earth (except for a select few that will be discussed later). For example, both had “heroes” that were spared and were, and are, considered righteous. These chosen ones were each ordered to build a boat and both, although they ultimately complied, initially complained about or rejected the given request. Once built though, the structures that were created in The Epic of Gilgamesh and in the book of Genesis are almost mirror images: one door, many stories, and many individual compartments. As stated previously, some beings were spared, and in both tales, these passengers (of humankind) were mainly family or (of animal-kind) were wildlife comprised of each species. Nearing their redemption, both passengers used birds to test for land that eventually ended in the arks possessing the landing spot of a mountain. Finally, after a peaceful landing, both flood accounts tell the story a character that made a sacrifice and that character receiving some blessing afterwards. Throughout these similarities, though, there are also some differences that make for great