With numerous similarities, could the Bible be a modified version of both the Code of Hammurabi and the Epic of Gilgamesh? The Bible starts with the book of Genesis which was supposedly written by Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai around 1445 BCE, though the story of the creation is unable to be dated. The law Code of Hammurabi was written around 1780 BCE by King Hammurabi. The Epic of Gilgamesh started out as a legend handed down orally with the first written record dating back to 2000-1600 BCE. My goal is to search out the links between the Bible, Code of Hammurabi and the Epic of Gilgamesh and determine whether or not I believe the Bible is a form of copycat text.
I will start with the epic of Gilgamesh, which is the oldest story ever discovered. It was found in the Tigris-Euphrates region of Babylon. The story is made up of twelve tablets, which were not found simultaneously. “Most of the material for this epic was discovered by Austen H. Layard, Hormuzd Rassam and George Smith with the ruins of the temple library of the god Nabu and in the palace library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal,” both of which were in Ninevah. Several of the other pieces were actually found through antique dealers.
Gilgamesh is the main character of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the supposed king during the First Dynasty of Uruk in Sumer. His father was an unknown human and his mother the goddess Ninsun, making him two thirds god. The main concept of the story is that Gilgamesh wants to seek immortality and live forever like a god. Even though he is a man of tremendous beauty and physical strength, Gilgamesh is also a very cruel, oppressive leader. As was common in Mesopotamian time, the king was superior to the commoners and the slaves. Gilgamesh took advantage of his power and forced his Lord’s rights on new brides. He would also set up various challenges and games against the other men just to humiliate them with his superior strength. During the course of the...