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The Epic Of The Flood AndNoah And The Flood

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“The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babel.’ So the gods agreed to exterminate mankind.” (“Epic of Gilgamesh” 146). This quote describing an extreme punishment is an excerpt of a 4,000 year old epic, describing a story about a god-like man journeying in the search of immortality who learns of a flood that nearly eliminates mankind (Introduction 136). Similar to the “Epic of Gilgamesh” flood narratives, “Noah and the Flood” depicts a faithful believer who is advised to create a boat harboring those faithful to God. By examining the heroes’ characteristics and relationships, theology, and situations of the two stories, it becomes apparent they refer to the same event.
The heroes and their relationships with Gods appears very similar when examining the two stories. “He touched our foreheads to bless us saying, ‘In time past Utnapishtim was a mortal man; henceforth he and his wife shall live in the distance at the mouth of the rivers.” (Epic of Gilgamesh 148). Utnapishtim is rewarded here for being a faithful believer and adherent to Ea’s advice. His adherence grants Utnapishtim an extremely lengthy lifespan. The hero in “Noah and the Flood”, demonstrates a similar relationship. “Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God.” (Noah and the Flood 171). These two heroes depicted in the stories are faithful to their Gods. They also each have an extensive lifespan; Utnapishtim who is rumored to be

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