Comparing Gilgamesh And Noah's Flood In Genesis

Two accounts of the Great Flood exist for examination of this monumental event that occurred in the history of the ancient world. These documents are the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible’s account of Noah’s Flood in Genesis. Both stories of the Great Flood on the earth carry similarities and differences from one another, which can be observed through the timing of events during and following the Flood, the actions of Utanapishtim and Noah following the Flood, and the interactions between Utanapishtim and the gods and Noah and God. First, in comparing the passages of the Epic of Gilgamesh and Noah’s Flood, differences in the timings of events can be spotted. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the time frame for the Flood is given as six days and seven nights of wind and rain, whereas in the account of Noah’s Flood, the time frame for the Flood is given as forty days and forty nights. After the storm had stopped, Utanapishtim, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, waited seven days before releasing birds to confirm when the waters subsided from the earth, while not giving a specific window of time between releasing each bird. Noah, on the other hand, released a bird at the end of the storm and …show more content…
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, there is a dialogue between Ea and Enlil about the cause of the Flood, whereas in Noah’s Flood, God is one being and doesn’t require testifying to other gods the motives of causing the Flood. In the end, Enlil blessed Utanapishtim and his wife to become like gods, and in Noah’s case, God made a covenant with Noah and his family that He wouldn’t destroy the earth again with another flood. This shows differences in the blessings given to the protagonists by the ones who caused the Flood and the divine beings involved. It also shows similarities in the Flood being caused by one god or