Almost all cultures are familiar with the story of the flood found in Genesis. It is a very important and interesting story to many Catholics. The main message of the story is God is angry with all the sin in the world, so he decides to start over by sending a flood to wipe out mankind and restart with Noah and his family. Not everyone might be as familiar with the Mesopotamian story of the flood found in Gilgamesh.
One would likely assume the story of the flood would have many difference considering the contrast in the time period and colossal differences of religion but there are many underlying similarities in details of the main characters, Noah and Utnapishtim, and the flood itself. 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 different reasons they both are told to carry every type of animal on their boat. Both main characters are cooperative when they are told to build a boat and gather the animals. There is a big difference in the amount of time they take to build the boat.
Noah takes anywhere from 100-120 years to build it, but Utnapishtim takes on seven days. Since there are no records of why Ea warned Utnapishtim one could assume that Ea greatly owed Utnapishtim for something so he spared his life. The main difference between the name characters is how suited for the job each character was, since Noah was chosen directly by God, and Utnapishtim was chosen by Ea behind Enlils back. The floods sent by the gods in these two stories bear a resemblance to each other, but there are many details that have considerable variations.
The floods are similar to each other because they are sent by gods and have the same intent, to wipe out all of mankind. In Genesis, the flood was sent because the Lord noticed wickedness and sin and greatly regretted creating man on Earth. In Gilgamesh “Enlin heard the clamor and he said to the gods in the council, the uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reasons of the babel, so the gods agreed to exterminate mankind” (Gilgamesh 25). The Mesopotamian gods seem really impatient with the people and act without thinking about the consequences.
God thought about sending the flood and did so for what he believed was good reasoning. This show the floods have different meanings for being sent because of the irrational Mesopotamian gods. Another difference is the flood in Gilgamesh only last 6-7 day, while in Genesis the flood lasts 40 days. The number of days in Genesis has a symbolic meaning. The number forty in the bible means a time of probation, but the number of days in Genesis is only a random amount of time. Overall, the flood in Genesis was more thought out and sent for a more logical reason that the flood in Gilgumesh.
The gods portrayer in these two stories of the flood share one huge similarity that they both send a flood intended to cause mass destruction. These gods contrast more than they are similar. For example, God gives Noah specific instructions on how to build the boat. He says, “Make yourself an aris out of gopher wood with compartments lover it inside and out with … can’t read This is how you shall make it: The length of the asle shall be 300 cubits. Its width 50 cubits and it’s height 30 cubits opening for day light in the ark and terminate it with in a cubit or the top.
Put the entrance to the ark in its side. Make it with bottom second and third decks (Genesis 45). Meanwhile, in Gilgamesh, Eaonly tells Gilgamesh to make a boat 200 feet x 200 feet. The detailed instructions show that God wants Noah’s family to be safe and is get up for success by God and was meant to do this. Utnapishtim only got few instructions because Ea couldn’t risk getting caught talking to him. (So it shows it could be bad for him and he was not meant for it. )* terrible sentence God closes the door for Noah, showing he is on his side for forty days, ready to protect him and his family.
Utnapishtim closes the door above, again capitalizing on the fact that he has no support from the gods. God is in control throughout the whole flood and keeps it happening. The Mesopotamian gods have no control over the flood and get scared and run for higher ground to avoid drowning. Although in both stories, the gods have many differences they do share one similarity, they both regret of causing the flood when they see the final results of their actions. One would likely assume these gods are greatly different given all of the details of how they sent the flood and their reasons for doing it.
Both of these stories of the floods are relevant in our society today. Gilgamesh’s version is popular and is still read today because it’s the oldest book that humans have access to. Genesis’ version is read by Christians all over the world and is seen as one of the most important stories in the Old Testament. Although the stories are not greatly similar, they are alike in some ways. The main points of the stories basically resemble each other in Gilgamesh and Genesis. After reading both, one will notice significant differences in details of the main characters, deity and the flood itself.