Noah Vs. Utnapishtim: Battle Of The Flood Stories

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Noah V.S. Utnapishtim: Battle of the Flood Stories The Biblical flood story in Genesis 6-9, and the flood story in the Gilgamesh Epic Tablet have a similar storyline. That being said, there aren’t many similarities in the details between the Genesis flood and the Gilgamesh flood stories either. Well yes, if people think in basic terms, there are several things that could be seen as similar traits. Both stories involve a god instructing a human with specific instructions to build an ark and save all species of animals. Each ark had only one door and both stories consist of birds being released as a test to find land. If people were to get more specific though, and go deeper into the words of each story, they’ll encounter that some of those similarities can be viewed as differences. In the Genesis flood, Noah (meaning rest) was spoken to directly …show more content…

Utnapishtim (meaning finder of life), had it revealed to him in a dream by Ea, a god, and Utnapishtim’s reason for building the ark was to save himself. Ea is one of the gods that were sworn to secrecy concerning the flood, which also included the gods Anu, Enlil, Ennugi and Ninurta. This shows that the gods had no order since they obviously did not agree with each other. The reason for the flood in the Gilgamesh story is not specified, but God instructed the flood of Genesis due to the evil sinful ways of the people in the world. The ark God instructed Noah to build was 300 cubits long and 50 cubits wide, making it more of a rectangular shape. The ark Ea instructed Utnapishtim to build was both equal in width and length, making it more of a square shape. As a test to find land, Utnapishtim released first a dove, then a swallow, and then a raven. Noah in turn

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