Preview

Gilgamesh Comparison

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
441 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Gilgamesh Comparison
The Epic of Gilgamesh Comparison
The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities with stories that come after its creation which leads us to believe it inspired those stories. One example of a story similar is the story of the great flood located in the Bible.
The Epic of Gilgamesh tells a story of “The Flood”. A man name Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh about a city called Shuruppak. This city was too loud for the Gods and they could get no sleep so they agreed to exterminate mankind by causing the whole world to flood. Utnapishtim however, is visited by a god, named Ea, in a dream and is told to build a boat with certain measurements so that he may survive. Utnapishtim built the boat and covers it in pitch. Then he fills the boat with animals wild
…show more content…
God at this point in the bible is displeased in his people so to punish them he is going to flood the earth, but he wanted Noah to live because he was favorable to God. God tells Noah to build an ark with certain measurements and to cover it in pitch. When the ark was created Noah filled it with every animal that lived on land so they could prosper after. When the flood comes it covers the whole earth killing everyone not on the Ark. Noah released birds to tell if the water has retreated and when one of his birds finds olive leaf he makes an altar and makes a sacrifice.
Comparing both stories each one had gods or a God displeased with their subjects and decided it was best to kill them off by flooding the earth. But they told one man to build a great boat and gave measurements to build said boat. Each man built the boat and covered it in pitch and loaded animals wild and domesticated so they could produce after. Utnapishtim and Noah also release birds to search for land and made sacrifices after land was found.
This details show that The Epic of Gilgamesh more than likely influence the story of Noah’s Ark. This however are not all the similarities just some big one. Also The Epic of Gilgamesh influenced more than just the story of Noah’s Ark but many other books and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Noahs Ark and Gilgamesh

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Epic of Gilgamesh Flood Story and the Noah’s Ark story from the Bible are similar in many ways. They are similar in the sense that they both got rid of their houses and all of their belongings. Noah received his message from God to start building the boat while Gilgamesh received his message in a dream. But in the story of Noah’s Ark, Noah was to build the boat to exact measurements which were 300 cubits for its length, 50 cubits for its width, and 30 cubits for its height. Where in the Epic of the Gilgamesh it was to be built “shall have her dimensions in proportion, Her width and length in harmony.” The story never tells how big the boat was for all living seeds. So as a reader we can picture Noah’s massive boat where we cannot do the same for Gilgamesh’s boat They were both were to build enormous boats that would be able to hold all forms of life. In the Epic of Gilgamesh Flood Story, Gilgamesh fills his boat with all forms of life along with silver and gold. Whereas Noah built the boat only to fit all animals and his family. The Epic of Gilgamesh fought through only six days and seven nights where Noah fought through forty days and forty nights. But we do know the Bible uses the number 40 as a way of saying a long period of time. Both Gilgamesh and Noah released a Raven and a Dove but Noah released 3 doves while Gilgamesh only released a swallow after the release of other two birds. The Gilgamesh Epic has close parallels with the account of Noah’s Flood. Its close similarities are due to its closeness to the real event. However, there are major differences as well. Everything in the Epic, from the polytheism to the absurd cubical ark, as well as the worldwide flood legends, show me that the Genesis account is the original, while the Gilgamesh Epic is a distortion.…

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Gilgamesh and the Hebrew bible there are a lot of similar and differenced between the two stories. Within this essay, the discussion about the floods will be compared and contrasted between the two stories within the relationship between humans, Gods and the overall purpose of both floods. Within Gilgamesh and Hebrew bible water was used to destroy humankind. Utriapishtuim in Gilgamesh heard about the flood from the God Ea instead of the God who created the flood Ealil ().Unlike…

    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I believe the motif of the Epic of Gilgamesh is Gilgamesh’s immortality. The hero of this epic, the demigod, Gilgamesh, was well gifted by the gods. He possessed the traits of beauty and strength, as was expressed in the opening paragraph of the Epic of Gilgamesh. “…The great gods made his beauty perfect, surpassing all others, terrifying like a great wild bull” (3). Gilgamesh wanted for nothing in the city of Uruk, as can be seen from the perspective of the men of Uruk when they stated, “Gilgamesh takes them all…” (4). Gilgamesh knew great friendship through Enkidu. While possessing many great traits, the one thing Gilgamesh did not possess and coveted was immortality. Gilgamesh confides to his friend…

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Growing up in a Christian home, it was mandatory to go to church every Wednesday and Sunday. Since my mother always attended “big church” with the other adults, she felt like I needed to grow up through a youth group. In youth group, we learned many things about God and the bible. We would learn about David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, Joseph and Mary, and many more stories. However, one story that seems to be the most significant is the story of Noah and the Ark. Noah is one of the most influential people in the Bible who steered away from God and his word. When thinking about the story of Noah, another story is very similar to the life of Noah. In the story of Gilgamesh, a man by the name of Utnaptishtim experience the fate Noah had with the flood. Even though these stories are very similar, there are differences that are present.…

    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Essay On Gilgamesh Flood

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Both stories have a main character that is sent by a god to build a boat to survive an upcoming flood also delivered by a god intended to wipe out all of mankind. The two characters contrast in the reason they are called to build a boat and survive the flood. Utnapishtim is warned by Ea for unknown reasons behind Enlist back even though he wanted no survivors. Noah is chosen by God because “Noah found favor with the Lord” (Genesis 45). This shows that Noah is better suited for the job and chosen to restart the population because of how righteous he is. Despite them being warned for…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Though there are many things in common between the Sumerian and Hebrew stories of the Flood, there are also many differences. It stated that both are required to build an ark along with taking every kind of animal onboard. They are also similar in the fact that the flood is called upon by God or the gods because of man's actions. Similarly, both Noah and Utnapishtim are from Mesopotamia.(Lambert) There are a few dissimilarities along with the story, the main being the fact that in the Hebrew version there is only one god while in the Sumerian version there are many gods.…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis are ancient texts that were widely read and are continually examined today. Although both stories discuss global floods enforced by the gods, there are both similarities and differences of time, historical background and context, the way the stories are told, and the animals and people on board the arks. These two stories have similar plots that involve the lessons that teach one to embrace the reality of their mortality, to do right, and stay on the straight and narrow which will lead to reward. In modern day life, these morals are still enforced and can lead to success, good fortune, and honor. The two floods incorporate long, treacherous processes to gain lengthened life. Utnapishtim from The Epic of Gilgamesh and Noah from the Bible portray the benefits of sacrifices made.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Noah Vs Gilgamesh Essay

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The circumstances in both origin myths have their differences but also appear to be fairly similar. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is a story that is polytheistic which refers to more than one god and “Noah and the Flood” consists of one god which describes monotheistic. “The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babel. So the gods agreed to exterminate mankind.” (“The Epic of Gilgamesh” 146) The gods decided to demolish mankind because the annoyance of man. “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on Earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time.” (“Noah and the Flood” 171) The lord was furious with man because of wickedness. The gods in both stories wanted to destroy the land but for different reasons.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    It is apparent in our class readings, that when the gods are angry at the humans they created, these gods unleash unforgiving rains to flood the earth, and kill the human race. Over the years, there have been various texts about these floods. While the occurrences of the floods themselves are continuous throughout these texts, they have varying reasons for the cause of the floods and different aftermaths or consequences. Three of these texts in particular which tell the story of these floods, are Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell, Metamorphoses by Ovid and Genesis. The main factor in these floods was of course the god or gods who created it. Therefore, the floods in each of these three texts were different, because the gods who created the floods were different. Even though a flood occurs in all of the three texts, the cause, the flood itself and the aftermaths of the floods are different.…

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Genesis are two different texts from different time periods. The stories that are going to be discussed are the Genesis and Gilgamesh flood stories. They have few similarities but their stories continue along the same line, although they are different in regard to detail. This essay will examine the reasons of the flood, the role of the two main characters, the religious characters and other noticeable difference of these texts.…

    • 1529 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It is essential that one understands the basic premise of each story before trying to compare them. The Epic of Gilgamesh has become a popular flood story ever since its discovery in a library in the ruins of Nineveh. This Babylonian depiction is noted for its recognizable parallels to the Genesis account. However, the storyline is undoubtedly different.…

    • 159 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh's Transformation

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Epic of Gilgamesh is an enlightening story that is filled with knowledge and wisdom that can teach everyone . Gilgamesh shows a great change from the beginning of the epic to the end, which can teach us all a lesson about life and death, and more importantly about our lives and how we should or shouldn’t live our lives. At the beginning of the story we see Gilgamesh as someone who thinks he is better than everyone, who treats his people unkindly and who uses people and things unfairly. At the end we see someone who has held, and lost, the secret to immortality, but in return, gains a new perspective towards living life.…

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh Synopsis

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Epic of Gilgamesh described a catastrophic flood similar to that experienced by Noah in the Christian bible. This Noah like character was known as Utnapishtim in this literature. He was a king and priest who was granted immortality from the gods after his great boat carried him, his wife, and every living creature to safety after the flood. Utnapishtim was the keeper of the secrets of immortality.…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The reasoning for the flood in Genesis and for the flood in Gilgamesh would be due to the sinning of mankind. Also another similarity would be be that while the humans sinned against the gods,…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story of Noah and his Ark are recorded in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. It says that as God looked upon the earth, He saw only wickedness and corruption. Unhappy with the way mankind had turned out, He decided to destroy the earth. He went to a righteous man named Noah and ordered him to build an ark, "the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits."…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays