Biblical Flood Based Upon the Flood of Gilgamesh In the middle of the nineteenth century, archaeologists unearthed twelve clay tablets. Around the turn of the twentieth century, archaeologists finally managed to decipher the tablets written in Akkadian, the language of ancient royalty and diplomacy. The tablets tell of the story of Gilgamesh. (1) The eleventh tablet tells that Gilgamesh, in his quest for immortality set out on a long journey to look for his ancestor, Utnapishtim
Biblical Flood Story versus Gilgamesh Flood Story The Biblical Flood story and the Gilgamesh Flood story include similarities and differences. There are two versions we know of the flood story in Babylonian literature, and both have different hero’s in each, although the cause of each flood is different. I will prove that I understand the task at hand by reading both of the stories, and taking it apart piece by piece to understand it in a whole. By doing this, I am able to know what I am reading
Flood vs. Flood After reading the flood story in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the flood story in Genesis, I was surprised by how far apart these stories written and by how many similarities I found between them. In this paper I am going to discuss the many similarities and difference between these two stories and reasons as to why, although so far apart in time, can be very similar in text. First I would like to discuss the similarities I found while reading these two stories. The obvious similarity
Is the Gilgamesh Flood the Basis of the Biblical Flood? Genesis of the Old Testament records a worldwide Flood early on in the history of human civilization. Tablet 11of the Sumero-Babylonian version of the epic of Gilgamesh also records a total Flood of the entire earth very early in mankind’s development. Let’s examine the two to determine if one could be the basis for the other. Nels M. Bailkey in Readings in Ancient History: Thought and Experience from Gilganesh to St
The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the tale of Gilgamesh, the demigod king of Uruk, and his epic quest to find eternal life, after his best friend, Enkidu, dies. On this journey, Gilgamesh seeks the help of Utnapishtim, who tells his story about the flood he survived. This flood story is extremely similar to the one told in the Bible. After breaking down both stories and looking especially at the reasons for the flood, amount of destruction, and the way to find land after, it becomes apparent that ideas
Foster’s and Stephen Mitchell’s translation “Gilgamesh,” to the Robert Altar’s translation “The Flood,” each story has a very different emphasis and draws a different moral. The emphasis of “Gilgamesh,” becoming eternal and what steps can be taken to receive it. However, the emphasis of “The Flood” is true righteousness will give a prolonged life. The different emphasis of each story causes the moral of each story to be different. For instance, “Gilgamesh” teaches; not doing what is advised will cause
Flood Gates There are many different reason things occur. Comparing the Biblical flood to the Ancient Mesopotamian flood is one of those strange things that occurred. The Biblical flood was to destroy humankind because of their sinful ways. Mesopotamian flood was used to punish mankind for their actions. The two floods came from two different historic timing. The two floods have several similarities and differences. The Biblical and Gilgamesh flood have several things they have in common. The hero’s
Flood Gates There are many different reasons things occur. Comparing the Biblical flood to the Ancient Mesopotamian flood is one of those strange things that occurred. The Biblical flood was to destroy humankind because of their sinful ways. Mesopotamian flood was used to punish mankind for their actions. The two floods came from two different historic timing. The two floods have several similarities and differences. The Biblical and Gilgamesh flood have several things they have in common. The
Global floods have been a shared part of human culture and religion for thousands of years. A majority of the global flood stories share the same basic framework which consists of a hero, a means of salvation, and a blessing. The two most popular flood accounts are the Biblical flood of Noah and the Babylonian “Epic of Gilgamesh.”. These two ancient flood accounts share various topics and ideas throughout both storylines such as the reason for the flood, a warning that the flood will happen, the
The Flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Flood of Genesis The Biblical book, Genesis, of the Old Testament contains an account of an historic Flood which has never been equaled in intensity. Tablet 11of the Sumero-Babylonian version of the epic of Gilgamesh also records a Flood quite expansive and quite devastating. Are they a record of the same event? E.A. Budge states in Babylonian Story of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamesh that the narration of the Flood in Sumero-Babylonian