Comparing Biblical Flood Story And The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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The Biblical flood story and The Epic of Gilgamesh are surprisingly similar. The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Biblical flood story, and the story of Atrahasis are some of the most well known Mesopotamian literature pieces. In Atrahasis, the god Enlil has trouble sleeping since the population of man on earth grew large and decides along with the other gods to flood the Earth. The god Enki who loves mankind tells Atrahasis about the Gods’ plans and tells Atrahasis to build an ark. He survives and saves mankind. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the longest and most famous work of Akkadian literature about a journey of a hero to immortality, friendship and sorrow. Gilgamesh’s, the main character, final adventure includes the flood story, in which parts were …show more content…

In Atrahasis’ version of the flood, Enki, the god who loved mankind and by telling Atrahasis about the flood went against the other gods commands Atrahasis to “The boat that you build… Roof it like the Apsu so that the sun cannot see inside it! Make upper decks and lower decks.” (Myths from Mesopotamia, Atrahasis, p. 30) The god Enki gives Atrahasis very detailed instructions on building the ark. Similarly, in the Genesis version, God instructs Noah to “Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks.” (Genesis 6:16, How the Babylonian Flood Became the Story of the Great Deluge in the Genesis, p.19) In both stories, the instructions on building the amphibious vehicle both men are to use escaping the flood greatly resemble each other, specifically in the instructions of building a roof, and even more alike in mentioning to add upper and lower decks. These instructions repeat themselves in both stories and in the same order, suggesting the Babylonian version either impacted the Genesis story, or that both were recorded from the same

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