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Gilgamesh Vs Old Testament Essay

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The Epic of Gilgamesh Vs. The Old Testament Since the moment humanity became literate, humanity has recorded important historical tales and events. Several of these stories are tales of courageous men, searching the ancient land in search of some honorable prize. Thanks to these tales, known as epics, we can understand the custom and the basic thought process of the ancient race. Among these epics are the versions told in the Old Testament. When we compare the stories between The Epic of Gilgamesh with those of the Old Testament, we not only would discover some striking resemblance, but also some significant differences.
If there is something that all the historical versions revolve around, is the idea of a divinity. The ancient population …show more content…

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods, angered by the ancient population, decided to destroy humanity by flooding earth for six days and six nights. In this version, Utnapishtim was chosen to build a boat so that he could restart mankind once the flood was over. In Genesis, God, who was angry with both Adam and Eve, decided to flood the Earth for forty days and forty nights. In contrast to the epic, God chose Noah and was given instructions to build an ark, save two of each animal, his family, and to resurrect life after the flood. In both The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis, a story of a flood occurs, but with minor changes to them.
In conclusion, The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament are two of the earliest versions of human civilization. In their own unique way, both books set an example of how the ancient population lived. The books also set down a foundation for the way that we could live our lives today. Just by reading Abraham’s commitment and the mistakes that Gilgamesh and Adam made, we have the power to shape our own lives. Through their differences and similarities, both versions have as much value for the people of today as they did for the people who wrote

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