Both Gilgamesh and Genesis contain an account of a great flood, sent to destroy humanity. Genesis says that God had become so angry with his creation that he resolved to destroy it:
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth...So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”
Of course, he spared the righteous Noah and the members of his family, as well as the animals that he took with him on the ark. Gilgamesh describes a similar story in which the gods, irritated with mankind, attempt to destroy everyone with a flood. But in this story, the goddess Ea warns Utnapishtim of the impending disaster. Utnapishtim, like Noah, builds a ship and rides out the...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
flood with his family and animals. Utnapishtim is granted immortality by the remorseful gods after the flood. The parallels between these two passages (and other parallel flood stories from other ancient civilizations in the general area) are obvious. Both speak to the power (and the mercy) of the divine and the relationship of the gods/God with mankind. Both also evoke the tenacity of human existence, even in the most horrific of circumstances.