In the two flood stories written in the Hebrew text and the Epic of Gilgamesh there are many similarities and differences. There are three main and important differences that I found within the two texts.
The first main difference is found in the ending of the story. In the Hebrew text we find that Noah gives a burnt sacrifice. And the Lord or Yahweh says unto Noah “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.” Yahweh also gives unto Noah a covenant that he will never flood the earth completely again.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh Enlil, said unto Utnapishtim “In time past Utnapishtim was a mortal man; henceforth he and his wife shall live in the distance oat the mouth of the rivers.” These are two distinct different endings to the stories. Noah was given a commandment, and a promise for the future generations of earth, and Utnapishtim was given the ability to eternal life. We see that Utnapishtim was given eternal life in the quote where Gilgamesh says to Utnapishtim “Tell me truly, how was it that you came to enter the company of the gods to possess everlasting life?”
The second difference in these two stories is the divine characters. In the Hebrew version there is Yaweh, a single God. In the Epic of Gilgamesh we find many gods who play a role in the flood story. Such characters are Anu, lord of the firmament father and warrior. Also Enlil their counselor, NInurta the helper, and Ennugi watcher over cannals, Adad lord of the storm. Nergal who pulled out the dams of the nether waters ect… It seems that a main difference between the two stories is obviously that the Hebrew story is a monotheistic religion, and the Epic of Gilgamesh is a polytheistic religion.
The Last difference is the motive to flood the earth. In the Hebrew text Yahweh is sadden and angered by the wickedness of the people on the earth. His creations. In the Epic of Gilgamesh it says that “the world teemed, the people multiplied and the world bellowed like a wild bull, and the great god was aroused by the clamour…’The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason…so the gods agreed to exterminate mankind.”
Though this quote from the Epic of Gilgamesh could be interpreted into wickedness, from just reading it we find that the noise of humans was too great. Another key difference in the two stories.
I didn't even notice that in the end of the flood story found in Genesis Noah shows gratitude to god but in the end of the story in Gilgamesh the gods seem to be showing gratitude. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn some sense, both stories end with eternal life, just different forms. Upnapishtim and his wife will live forever themselves. But that command, "be fruitful and multiple," also grants eternal life in someway, especially in view of the covenant. The life of God's people, the Israelites, will continue.
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