The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Great Flood
Jesus E. Salcedo-Espinoza
Introduction to Literature
HUM2000
March, 5 2015
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Great Flood
This epic has fascinated especially Christians and scholars who are interested in the fact which The Bible is based on ancient writings on the human history through modern history. Most of The Epic of Gilgamesh has no major significance from the religious point of view, but scholars are recognizing the parallels between the history presented as an experience from a kingdom and its king with the ideas of creation including the Great Flood. This epic uses poem to narrate the history of the King Gilgamesh, who exists in the city of Uruk during the Babylonian Empire. The time of his dynasty falls during the time before the Great Flood which it is mentioned in the epic as “heavy rain.” Gilgamesh is presented as a person which uses his power to abuse of his people, having the gods in complete disagreement with his behavior. This is the reason why they sent Endiku to confront him as his other more humanized side waiting for a change in his attitude. After one of their many fights, they became friends and decided to go in different journeys which causes the death of Endiku eventually. After the death of his best friend, Gilgamesh started to look for immortality in a journey that made him to meet Utnapishtim, the figure of Noah in The Epic of Gilgamesh. According to the epic, Utnapishtim became immortal after construct an ark, as it is indicated in the epic in the lines which say “O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubar-Tutu, tear down your house, build a ship; abandon wealth, seek after life; scorn possessions, save the life. Bring up the seed of all kinds of living things into the ship which thou shalt build. Let its dimensions be well measured”, to be used during the Great Deluge in the epic or the Great Flood in The Bible with the main objective to survive with his family and some animals. The epic continues with the release of birds to find dry land after
Introduction to Literature
HUM2000
March, 5 2015
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Great Flood
This epic has fascinated especially Christians and scholars who are interested in the fact which The Bible is based on ancient writings on the human history through modern history. Most of The Epic of Gilgamesh has no major significance from the religious point of view, but scholars are recognizing the parallels between the history presented as an experience from a kingdom and its king with the ideas of creation including the Great Flood. This epic uses poem to narrate the history of the King Gilgamesh, who exists in the city of Uruk during the Babylonian Empire. The time of his dynasty falls during the time before the Great Flood which it is mentioned in the epic as “heavy rain.” Gilgamesh is presented as a person which uses his power to abuse of his people, having the gods in complete disagreement with his behavior. This is the reason why they sent Endiku to confront him as his other more humanized side waiting for a change in his attitude. After one of their many fights, they became friends and decided to go in different journeys which causes the death of Endiku eventually. After the death of his best friend, Gilgamesh started to look for immortality in a journey that made him to meet Utnapishtim, the figure of Noah in The Epic of Gilgamesh. According to the epic, Utnapishtim became immortal after construct an ark, as it is indicated in the epic in the lines which say “O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubar-Tutu, tear down your house, build a ship; abandon wealth, seek after life; scorn possessions, save the life. Bring up the seed of all kinds of living things into the ship which thou shalt build. Let its dimensions be well measured”, to be used during the Great Deluge in the epic or the Great Flood in The Bible with the main objective to survive with his family and some animals. The epic continues with the release of birds to find dry land after