Comparison of the Flood Stories in Gilgamesh and the Bible The two stories closely parallel each other, though Gilgamesh was written down before 2000 BCE and the version in Genesis was compiled ca. 400 BCE. Biblical writers probably knew of the much older myth but revised it so that it fit with their own history and worldview. They intended it to fit with their own mythology. Despite the many similarities between the two stories, this difference in intention is revealed in a number of motifs that distinguish the biblical story from the ancient myth: Gilgamesh Genesis 1. Flood is caused by the fickle nature of the gods We are told in 11.1 lines 14-17 that the gods who were reclining at Shuruppak, "up the constant Euphrates," sent the flood by "intent." 1. Flood is sent by God to destroy his creation, which has become corrupt and evil The humans are so wicked and evil that "it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" (Gen. 6:6). He says,"I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth. . . " (Gen. 6:7) 2. On earth one can still find demi-gods and great heroes, like Gilgamesh This is a Golden Age, like that described by Hesiod, when heroes walked the earth and humans and gods commingled. 2. Earth once had giants and heroes, but they became part of the evil These "giants in the earth" (Gen. 6:4) were the sons of God and of the daughters of men, but they were only men of renown in the old days (Gen. 6:4). There is no Golden Age at the time of the flood. 3. One good man is saved (Utnapishtim), who obeys the god's orders to build a boat Ea warns Utnapishtim (11.1 lns. 26ff.) to build a covered boat to save himself and the "seed of all [he'll] need" (11.1 ln. 34), to "Reject the corpse-like stench of wealth" (11.1 ln. 28) and live a charitable life of moderation. U. agrees to do this to "honor god" (l1.1 n. 39), but he will tell people he does so because Enlil hates him and he must flee by boat to where Enlil waits to kill him.
Most of us have probably heard the famous bible story about Noah’s Ark and The Flood. What most may not know, is that this story is just one of a great many. A variety of ancient cultures, from the Greeks and the Middle East, to Asia and the Americas, have in their mythologies a story of a Great Flood that drowns the earth. These stories mostly contain the same themes: a god or group of gods becomes angry; they flood the earth but save a small group of people. These people build a boat to survive. After the flood they repopulate the earth.
As the human species develops, medicine follows suit. Researchers look down medicinal avenues which promise a better life-- a longer life. However, red and blue paint cannot engender purple paint without proper mixing. Thus, health sciences cannot expand without thorough experimentation. The Nazis exemplified this concept of “thorough experimentation” with their cruel and inhumane medical experiments. The trials varied in nature and reason. Some of the “experiments had legitimate scientific purposes, though the methods that were used violated the canons of medical ethics. Others were racial in nature, designed to advance Nazi racial theories. [However,] Most were simply bad science.” (jewishvirtuallibrary.org). The medical experiments performed by the Nazis were vast and highly divergent, but they can generally be divided into three categories: racial experimentation, war-injury experimentation, and pharmaceutical testing.
The story of the great flood is probably the most popular story that has survived for thousands of years and is still being retold today. It is most commonly related within the context of Judeo-Christian tradition. In the Holy Bible, the book of Genesis uses the flood as a symbol of God's wrath as well as His hope that the human race can maintain peace and achieve everlasting salvation. The tale of Noah's Ark begins with God's expression of dismay as to the degenerate state of the human race at the time. People were behaving wickedly and sinfully and God decided that a genetic cleansing was necessary. He spared only Noah and his family, along with two of every type of animal; one male and one female. The other most popular flood story is found in the Epic of Gilgamish. In this text, the gods have decided to destroy everything on earth by creating a great flood. The only survivor is a man named Utnapishtim, spared because he is the god Ea's favorite human.
One difference that backs it up is in The Epic of Gilgamesh the rains that cause the floods only last six days, six nights and in “The Flood Story in Genesis” the rains last forty days, forty nights. A quote that tells about the flood is when Utnapishtim said, “For six days and six nights the wind blew, torrent and tempest and flood overwhelmed the world, tempest and flood raged together like warring hosts (pg. 25).” This quote by Utnapishtim describes how bad the weather, rains, and wind were during the six days and six nights of the storm. On the other hand in “The Story of the Flood” it rained for forty days, forty nights. While God was talking to Noah he said, “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth (pg. 48 line 4).” This quote describes how long God will have the rain go for. It also says that he is doing it to destroy all of mankind.
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
Whether in Christianity in the form of Noah’s Ark, or through Mesopotamian history in the form of an immortal, the idea of a great flood has proven to be a common story throughout the world. Though Noah’s Ark may be the most popular form of the story, it is not the oldest. Many people believe Noah’s Ark was based on Utnapishnem’s flood story. The two stories are obviously based on the same thing, but one must wonder which one is true or which came first.
In the story, "A Tale of Segregation" a young boy named William and his father go out to a spring, a popular place among both blacks and whites. At this time, racism and discrimination against blacks were strong. In the passage William and his father had to wait to get water because he was seen as inferior due to the color of his skin. According to "A Tale of Segregation, they told William's father that he'd had to wait until all the white people were finished. This explains why he had to get his water last and why the whites believed he was below them, because he wasn't white. Also found in the passage, they wouldn't let William and his father leave. The white men explained that he'd be able to do what he wants after all the good white people finished getting their water. This evidence explains that although he was able to get his water, it wasn't the correct solution and they were still treated unfairly. The white men showed no remorse, even in front of a child.
There is no reason given by Utnapishtim for the deluge. On the contrary, the Judaic version of the Flood in Genesis states in Genesis 6:5-8 a very clear, explicit reason for the Flood:
During the Holocaust, medicine was not as advanced and clean as it is today. “Patients”, or it seemed more like “victims” of the experiments rarely lived, and if they did, they did not want to remember those experiences. A survivor of the inhumane activities, Heinz Reimer, talks about his experience in the camp and says that,
Since the German race was dominant, Nazi doctors conducted numerous experiments on Jews, Gypsies and many more individuals to study their DNA to further understand German dominance. During the Holocaust, “…Nazis developed racial health policies that began with the mass sterilization of “genetically diseased” persons and ended with the near annihilation of European Jewry” (“Nazi Racial Science”). The ultimate goal was to rid Europe of Jews because they were considered inferior, and many experiments were conducted by multiple doctors to achieve this
In the Mesopotamian version: the gods apparently displeased with the evils of mankind decided to destroy it by means of a great flood. Ea, the god of wisdom and subtlety, was privy to their council and warned Utnapishtim, the Babylonian Noah, of the coming disaster. Utnapishtim was told to build a ship thirty cubits long and thirty cubits wide. Provision it and put in it specimens of every living thing. Then to board it with his family and possessions and launch it on the waters.
The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to the Bible, especially in Genesis and it’s not just that the both begin with the letter “g”’! One major similarity being the flood story that is told in both works. The two stories are very similar but also very different. Another being the use of serpents in both works and how they represent the same thing. A third similarity being the power of God or gods and the influence they have on the people of the stories. Within these similarities there are also differences that need to be pointed out as well.
The flood of Gilgamesh was written before 2000 B.C, while the Genesis story was written in 400 BC Which was much later then the Gilgamesh flood. Biblical writers probably knew of the much older flood but revised it so that it fit with their own history and worldview. They most likely intended the original story with their own mythology. Despite the many similarities between the two stories, the differences are revealed in a number of different topics that distinguish the biblical version of the story from the ancient version.
During World War II, Hitler rounded up people who were not part of the Aryan Race and sent them to concentration camps; in those camps, some of those people served as test subjects for medical experimentation. These experiments separate into three categories. The first type were “experiments aimed at facilitating the survival of Axis military personnel,” (Museum). Next, the “experimentation aimed at developing and testing pharmaceuticals and treatment methods for injuries and illnesses which German military and occupation personnel encountered in the field” (Museum). Finally, the “[experimentations] sought to advance the racial and ideological tenets of the Nazi worldview” (Museum). In the novel Night by Elie Wiesel, Dr. Mengele conducted at least two of the selections that Elie had to watch and go through, but it is different because in Night, Elie Wiesel was not aware of the experiments and only saw Dr. Mengele during the selections. Dr. Mengele and other SS doctors received the power to test various medical experiments on Jews, Gypsies, war prisoners, the unwanted, and others that Hitler sent to concentration camps. Some were done for science and others were just to satisfy the doctor's interests.
International convergence of accounting standards is not a new idea. The concept of convergence was brought up towards the end of 1950s in response to the economic integration which took place after WW2. The International Accounting Standards Committee was formed in 1973 and was the first international standards-setting organisation. Since then, the use of international standards has progressed. As of 2013, the European Union and more than 100 other countries use the international financial reporting standards (IFRSs) issued by the IASB. Since 2002 the FASB and the IASB have been working together to improve and converge U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and IFRS. Also in 2013, Japan and China were also working to converge