What Are The Similarities Between The Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Bible

Tablet eleven of the Epic of Gilgamesh shows the desperate attempts made by Gilgamesh to obtain immortality after the death of his friend Enkidu. While The Book of Genesis accounts for how God brought the universe into existence, both narratives share similarities through their roles as cosmogonies and the use of serpents and godly wrath. Cosmogonies seek to explain the origins of the world, humanity, and traditions. The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis can be considered a cosmogony due to the actions of a deity. When recounting how he gained immortality, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that Ea warned him of Enlil’s intention of wiping out humanity with a flood and that he and his wife should build a boat to escape certain death. By doing so, they were the sole survivors of the devastation, giving humankind a second chance at survival. This idea can also be seen in the Mesopotamian goddess Belet-ili. In the epic poem, she reacts to the flood’s devastation by saying, “it is I who give birth, these people are mine! And now, like fish, they fill the ocean!” (“Immortality Denied” 92).
Her statement implies that the human race is a creation of the gods. Furthermore, these

However, they differ in their root causes. By bringing the flood upon the earth, Enlil hoped to annihilate the human population as they were overpopulated and interfering with his sleep. His feelings towards humans can be better seen in Ea’s warning to Utnapishtim. He has him tell his village, “For sure the God Enlil feels for me hatred…I can tread no more on Enlil’s ground” (“Immortality Denied” 89). In Genesis, Adam and Eve gain knowledge strictly reserved for God after breaking his one rule. As punishment, they were banished from the garden. Moreover, Eve was cursed to bear children in pain, while Adam was burdened with the responsibility of laboring for