Essay about The Flood of Noah and Gilgamesh - 1616 Words

The Flood of Noah and Gilgamesh With the discovery of texts from ancient civilizations, many people have come to believe that various texts are common to one another. Examples of these texts are the creation stories from the Hebrews found in the Bible, The Hymn of Ra from the Egyptians, and the Enuma Elish stories from the Babylonians. In addition to these stories are the flood stories. These stories have caused many discussions among scholars involved with ancient civilizations. The two main stories largely discussed are the Genesis and Gilgamesh flood stories. Although different in regards to the details, the main plot is similar between the two stories from two different civilizations. Because of this similarity, many†¦show more content†¦Once they are able to leave the ark, Noah and Utnapishtim prepare a sacrifice to their divine being(s). When God smells the aroma from the sacrifice, he is pleased with the sacrifice and blesses Noah. Similarly, when the gods in Gilgamesh smell the aroma, they also bless Utnapishtim. After the flood, the Babylonian gods and the God of Noah both regret creating a flood. Although the plots are similar, the details included in the stories have numerous differences. To begin, when Noah receives warning about the flood and directions about how to build and fill the ark, he receives the message directly from God. When Utnapishtim receives his message, Ea indirectly sends it through a dream. Another difference in the story is the instructions on how to build the ark. In the bible, God tells Noah to build the ark 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high (New International Version, Gen. 6:15). God continues to tell him to â€Å"make a roof and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top† (New International Version, Gen. 6:16a). Then â€Å"put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle, and upper decks† (New International Version, Gen. 6:16b). In Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim builds his ark 155 feet high, and the decks 175 feet wide. He also built a top deck and six lower decks (Matthews and Benjamin 26).Show MoreRelatedEssay abou t The Flood of Noah and the Flood of Gilgamesh1844 Words   |  8 Pagesmyths around the world have the particular section on the â€Å"Great Flood.† It has been universal, indicating that at some point in their lifetime, all of the cultures experienced a flood that almost wiped their civilization out. However, many of the flood myths of different cultures take different features in time period, area that they happened, heroes, and the story itself. But, surprisingly, the flood myths in Bible and Gilgamesh are almost similar except for the slight differences for the namesRead MoreGilgamesh VS â€Å"Genesis†: Noah and the Flood1121 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Religion is about turning untested belief into unshakable truth through the power of institutions and the passage of time- Richard Dawkins†. 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