September 4, 2011 Period 2 Comparative Essay In the ‘Epic of Gilgamesh’ and ‘The Biblical Flood Story’ have a very similar plot line, but many several key differences. In both stories a flood occurs, which were caused by the God/s( This shows that in Gilgamesh they were polytheistic while in the Biblical version they were monotheistic. ) to destroy the people of the earth. For both flood stories, a specific person is chosen to build an arc but for different reasons. In the Biblical story, Noah builds the arc due to his righteous character but in Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim built the arc to save himself. Later on in both stories birds are released making them seem very similar. In the end, the stories are separated because of the covenants …show more content…
For both stories a specific person was picked out to survive the flood by building an arc but the Gods went about it in different ways. In the Biblical Flood story, once the forty days of flooding had finally come to a stop, Noah opened the window and released a bird. The first bird released was a raven. The second was a dove. Now in the story of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim set free a dove first. The second bird released was a swallow and last was a raven. In both stories the bird were released to find out when the water had receded. They both conclude their evidence in different ways and the order of the release of the birds is opposite. God said to Noah, “And I behold, I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you; and with every living creature with you. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth.” That’s when God made an everlasting covenant between himself and every living creature of all flesh on earth. Even though, in the story of Gilgamesh, the Gods decided that it was wrong to punish mankind, they still did not make a covenant with man. Instead of making a pact with humans they granted immorality to Utnapishtim and his wife. In both stories they settled the flood in different ways separating the stories. Even though the stories are similar in many aspects they have several key
The Epic of Gilgamesh: story of the flood is a story telling of the time when the Sumerian gods flood the Earth hoping to get rid of the annoying humans. Throughout the story, Utnapishtim would be the preserver of life; by building a ship that would carry two of every animal. In Genesis 6-9, the Hebrew God chose to cleanse humanity by flooding the Earth, and in this story Noah would be instructed by the Lord to build an ark and put two of every animal with this ark. These stories of the flood have many differences, one major difference being that The Epic of Gilgamesh is a fictional story of Sumerian gods, while Genesis is a religious book with in the Bible. Although there are many differences between Genesis’ and Gilgamesh’s story of the flood, there are significantly more similarities linking the two stories.
In the flood story of Genesis, Noah builds the boat. Utnapishtim and Noah were both informed to build a boat for the flood by a God/Gods. The boat in both of the stories is said to be big enough to fit two of each species, male and female. The stories tell that heavy rains for multiple days caused the flood. To find land they both used a bird. In these two stories the same boat is built, the details just differ between the two stories.
When comparing the Genesis Flood narrative to that of the Gilgamesh Flood narrative, there are many similar symbols throughout both narratives. In the Genesis version of the flood, God had chosen to send the flood because the humankind he had created was evil and he saw their wickedness. “For my par, I am going to bring a good of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die” (Genesis 6:18). This excerpt from the narrative shows that one God had chosen to send the flood to destroy all humankind that he had originally created. Just like this narrative, the Gilgamesh Flood narrative, a God by the name of Enlil orders a flood to destroy humankind. “Decided that the great gods should make a flood” (Gilgamesh XI 109). This quote states how that a flood was to be sent for the city of Shuruppak. In the Genesis narrative there was a righteous man by the name of Noah that was chosen to build the ark. “Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark and cover it inside and out with a pitch” (Genesis
Although the plots are similar, the details included in the stories have numerous differences. To begin, when Noah receives warning about the flood and directions about how to build and fill the ark, he receives the message directly from God. When Utnapishtim receives his message, Ea indirectly sends it through a dream.
However, despite the minor differences there are many similarities between the two stories. Indeed the similarities have led some to speculate that these ancient flood stories were
Both the story of “Noah and the Flood” in the book of Genesis in The Hebrew Bible and the flood story in The Epic of Gilgamesh detail a grand flood in which a man saved life from extinction by building an ark, earning fame and immortality in some form. The theme of completing this grand task for a moral purpose holds true to both stories, but the depiction and actions of the divine and mortal characters in the stories contain different similarities and differences.
The floods in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis 6-9 are very similar. In both the flood were sent to wipe out all humankind. Both floods however could be seen as symbols as a rebirth or a new beginning to what was see by God and the gods as a crumbling world. Both heroes in the story were chosen to build a boat to save a
In both Gilgamesh and Noah and the Flood, man’s wickedness leads to death, destruction, and rebirth all caused by billions of gallons of water sweeping the earth’s surface. The flood in both stories destroys most of mankind. The floods represent rebirth and a new beginning for mankind, as well as the gods and God’s wrath. In Gilgamesh the gods decide to destroy mankind by flooding the earth for six days and nights. Utnapishtim is chosen to build a boat in order to restart mankind after the flood. In the Bible God also decides to flood the earth due to the increase in wickedness. God chooses Noah to build an ark and store seven pairs of every clean animal and two of every other kind of animal on it
The Hebrew Flood story of Noah and his obligation to preserve man kind after God had punished all living creatures for their inequities parallels The Epic of Gilgamesh in several ways. Even though these two compilations are passed on orally at different times in history the similarities and differences invoke deliberation when these stories are compared. Numerous underlining themes are illustrated throughout each story. Humans are guilty of transgressions and must be punished, God or Gods send a flood as punishment to destroy this evil race, a person is selected by the gods to build a craft that will withstand the flood and allow this person to create a new race. An
The flood story that is told in The Epic of Gilgamesh has the same principle as the story of Noah told in the book of Genesis in the Bible, but there are some major differences. In the epic,
K.A. Kitchen names nine differences and seven similarities in the two traditions. The two narratives claim that the decision to send the flood as punishment was divine (made by deity); a chosen person (man) is instructed to save himself and his family, together with living animals and to do this he is asked to build an ark (boat); the flood destroys everyone else on the earth. The boat eventually rests on a mountain and the birds are sent out off the boat to see if there is any land that is habitable. The chosen man eventually sacrifices to the divine and humanity is renewed on the earth.[footnoteRef:7] For Kitchen, the differences are that in the Genesis narrative, deity (God) observes the wickedness that was done by the humans on the earth
On the other hand in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim’s, the one Enlil called to build the arch, name means “He Who Saw Life” (The Flood of Noah). Utnapishtim was forced to carry a heavy load of guilt mainly because unlike in Genesis Noah was awarded the power to survive, and also did every task God asked of him alone. While in the Epic of Gilgamesh the gods were upset with mankind because they couldn’t get any restso they sent Utnapishtim to build an arc. He doesn’t know why Ea, another god chose him to live, but he does know that he tricked hundreds of his neighbors into laboring day and night to build the boat that would carry him and his family to safety while he abandoned them. He received a promise from the gods that from now on only individuals would be subject to death and that humankind as a whole would endure. Both stories are based on a flood and humankind being sinful, but their point views differ dramatically. God’s plan was valid and he did not regret it the action he took because he felt it was his fault and that it had to come to a stop, but the gods plan was injustice and evil. In the very prologue of the Epic of Gilgamesh, we see a reference to the number seven. Throughout Gilgamesh, as is throughout the Bible, the number seven appears continually throughout the text. The Epic of Gilgamesh is
Both Gilgamesh and Noah build arks because of an impending devastation of the earth by rain and flooding. Shamash had warned, "In the evening, when the rider of the storm sends down the destroying rain, enter the boat and batten her down." (p. 147) God told Noah, "For in seven days' time I will make it rain upon the earth, forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out from the earth all existence that I created." (p. 172) Both boats were built to detailed specifications in order to withstand the torrents of rain. Following the cessation of the rain, both Noah and Gilgamesh send out birds as a test of the recession of the waters so that they can safely exit onto the land. Gilgamesh sends first a dove, then a swallow, and then a raven, who, "…saw that the waters had retreated, she ate, she flew around, she cawed, and she did not come back." (p. 148) Noah first sends a raven which, "…went to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. " (p. 173) He then sends a dove that returns to the ark having found no resting place. After seven days Noah again sends the dove which returns with an olive leaf in its bill. "Then Noah knew that the waters had decreased on the earth. He waited still another seven days and sent the dove forth; and it did not return to him any more." (p. 173) Both Noah and Gilgamesh, immediately upon leaving their boats, make a sacrifice. Gilgamesh says, "Then I threw everything open to
There are many similarities and differences between The Book of Genesis and the Epic of Gilgamesh. The most obvious similarities between the two accounts are that both are talking about a great flood that was sent by God. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the flood lasts for seven days while in the Book of Genesis, the flood lasts for forty days (pg.12-13). Another similarity is that in both accounts, it was God who told both Noah and Gilgamesh to build the boats as well as to “keep alive living beings” (pg.12-13). One of the differences between the two accounts is that in the Book of Genesis, Noah sent off a dove and a raven in search of dry land, which he eventually found (pg.13). In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh also sent out a dove, and then he sent a swallow, then also a raven and when they all came back with no sign of dry land, he sent out “everything in all directions” (pg.12). Another, more major, difference between the two accounts is that Gilgamesh and his family were not meant to survive while Noah was
Someone once wrote “The Lord saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time”(Noah and the flood pg.171). “ The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babel” (the Epic of Gilgamesh pg.147). Both stories from two different cultures but despite the differences in the heroes, their gods, and the flood stories in “Noah and the Flood” and “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” both of these stories appear to refer to the same historical event the great flood.