Epic Of Gilgamesh Comparison Essay

In both Gilgamesh and Noah and the Flood, man’s wickedness leads to death, destruction, and rebirth all caused by billions of gallons of water sweeping the earth’s surface. The flood in both stories destroys most of mankind. The floods represent rebirth and a new beginning for mankind, as well as the gods and God’s wrath. In Gilgamesh the gods decide to destroy mankind by flooding the earth for six days and nights. Utnapishtim is chosen to build a boat in order to restart mankind after the flood. In the Bible God also decides to flood the earth due to the increase in wickedness. God chooses Noah to build an ark and store seven pairs of every clean animal and two of every other kind of animal on it

Sadly, the Bible reports that nearly all of Adam’s descendents “had corrupted their way upon the earth and lost their true direction” (Gen. 6:12 Amplified Bible), and, as a result of this intolerable situation, God told Noah that He had determined “to make an end of all flesh [as well as] destroy … the land … by [bringing] a flood of waters upon the earth” (Gen. 6:13, 17). After the Holy Creator had uttered this apocalyptic intent, He proceeded to provide Noah with instructions on how he was to build an ark, which included information on a list of vital materials (Gen. 6:14), some details on the manner they were to be used (Gen. 6:14), basic blueprints of its structure (Gen. 6:14, 16), and, what measurements the floating vehicle was to have when it was completed, which Scriptures report was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high (Gen. 6:15).

Every living creation perished, leaving Noah and the other occupants of the ark as the only remaining creatures on the earth. The waters cleansed the earth from all sin, giving the Lord a fresh start to a more awe-inspiring and passionate coexistence between future generations. After a year and seventeen days on the ark, the Lord instructed Noah and his family to bring the animals out onto the newly cleansed land so that they can be fruitful and increase in numbers. Once the task was complete, Noah set out on a task of building an altar and made a sacrificial burnt offering from some of the clean animals and presented it to the Lord. The Lord then proclaimed that never again would he curse the ground or destroy all living creatures due to the wickedness and evil that could once again fill the hearts of his living

The Gods in the story of Gilgamesh caused the flood but also instructed Utnapishtim to build a boat. The god in the Genesis story caused the flood, but told Noah to build a boat. In both of the stories the God/Gods allow the hero's family to survive in the boat. The God/Gods in the two stories are superior compared to the hero's not being a physical being. The God/Gods in the stories are the same thing just based upon the belief of the writers of the stories.

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.

At the time of this story God saw how the thoughts of mankind were evil and he decided to destroy what he had created with a great flood intending to drown the earth. He chose Noah and his family to build an ark big enough to contain two of every animal to repopulate the earth. The world was flooded for a hundred and fifty days until the water subsided back into land.

After the flood waters had ceased, both Utnapishtim and Noah sent out a series of bird to check if it was safe to come out of their large boats and then were rewarded for their obedience. Utnapishtim sent out a dove, swallow and raven, with whom each found land, and Noah sent out a raven and a dove, which was sent out twice. When both men exited their ships, their God/gods rewarded them greatly, but with different things. Enlil, the war god blessed Utnapishtim and his family by saying, “You and your wife shall be like gods. You shall live in the distance at the river’s mouth, at the source” (Gilgamesh 10). For Noah, God promised him, “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything”

In The Genesis and The Epic of Gilgamesh there are three main similarities. These similarities are the flood, the food, and the snake. In Genesis God sent a flood to destroy all of mankind, just like how the gods sent a flood to also destroy mankind in Gilgamesh. In both stories God chose someone to build boat to restart mankind, in Genesis he chose Noah, and in Gilgamesh he chose Utnapishtim. The food plays different role in each story. In Genesis food was what it took for them to look their immortality, however in Gilgamesh food was needed in order to achieve immortality. The snake is what it took for the characters to lose immortality. However, there were different outcomes of the snake either taking food or saying you should eat the food.

Both Gilgamesh and Noah build arks because of an impending devastation of the earth by rain and flooding. Shamash had warned, "In the evening, when the rider of the storm sends down the destroying rain, enter the boat and batten her down." (p. 147) God told Noah, "For in seven days' time I will make it rain upon the earth, forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out from the earth all existence that I created." (p. 172) Both boats were built to detailed specifications in order to withstand the torrents of rain. Following the cessation of the rain, both Noah and Gilgamesh send out birds as a test of the recession of the waters so that they can safely exit onto the land. Gilgamesh sends first a dove, then a swallow, and then a raven, who, "…saw that the waters had retreated, she ate, she flew around, she cawed, and she did not come back." (p. 148) Noah first sends a raven which, "…went to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. " (p. 173) He then sends a dove that returns to the ark having found no resting place. After seven days Noah again sends the dove which returns with an olive leaf in its bill. "Then Noah knew that the waters had decreased on the earth. He waited still another seven days and sent the dove forth; and it did not return to him any more." (p. 173) Both Noah and Gilgamesh, immediately upon leaving their boats, make a sacrifice. Gilgamesh says, "Then I threw everything open to

The Epic of Gilgamesh was translated by Andrew George and the Iliad was written by Homer. These are both heroic epics that show some similarities in their stories. The Epic of Gilgamesh came to us in a fragmentary form and was written in some form we no longer have. It possibly influenced the Iliad because the Iliad showed some modification of the epic and was written later than Gilgamesh. Both stories show some similarities in theme, such as pride, morality, friendship, love, fate, and free will. In both the books, pride seems like a big topic. Comparing the pride in the character Gilgamesh in the, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Achilles in the Iliad shows that the mistakes both make is that they can not let go of their pride.

They seem to view their gods in the same way. Gilgamesh and Noah both put their complete and utter faith in their gods when they decided to build the boats (pg.12-3). The gods think of humankind differently in the two societies. Noah was favored by God and when he was asked to build the boat, he knew that he and his family would survive (pg.13). When Gilgamesh was asked to build the boat, he was not promised his life. When he survived the flood, Enlil seemed angry that he had survived. I would venture to say that these stories do not seem to be derived from one or the other. They are very similar in nature, but the small, important details are very different. It is almost like two recollections, or sides, of the same event as if from two completely separated

In the story of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods create Enkidu, a being who runs wild with the animals. Enkidu gets created as a companion of Gilgamesh. The story shares similarities with the biblical story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis. The similarity of Enkidu’s movement from culture to civilization and how Adam got expelled from the Garden of Eden include: - In both stories a woman is responsible for the transformation of a man from a wildlife into a civilized life. In the Epic, Enkidu is rejected by the animal world after having sex with a harlot; the harlot Shamash ends up giving him clothes (Dolansky 34). The act shows how women had equal privileges as men. The woman further teaches Enkidu to drink beer and eat bread. The two last actions show technological developments relating to a civilized man. On the other hand in the story of Genesis, the woman (Eve) is tempted by the serpent. She ends up convincing Adam to eat the fruit from the tree of Knowledge. In the Bible, a woman acted as a companion to man, while in the epic they mainly aided men.

So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.” (New International Version, Genesis 6.13) these words said by God in the book of Genesis led to one of the greatest disasters told by men all over the globe. The story about the flood that brought an end to all of mankind. In the story, God or a higher being chose a particular man to build an ark and take his loved ones, and all the animals on the ark to survive the imminent flood.

There are many stories written during Ancient Mesopotamia. Many of them are based on an epic that reaches a goal or teaches a lesson. The Epic of Gilgamesh does not have a specific author; rather it was passed along through generations as a Sumerian poem. The story explores the issue between mortality and acceptance of death amongst a man named Gilgamesh. He is two-thirds god and one-third human.

Noah and his family entered the ark as God had commanded. After seven days, the waters of the flood were over the earth. All the wellsprings of the great deep burst and the casements of the heavens were opened. (Genesis pg 32) It rained for forty