Epic of Gilgamesh and the Great Flood
Perhaps the most popular comparison with Noah's Flood is that of an ancient Babylonian story of a similar flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The stories are very parallel, but specific details make them different in several parts. I am going to tell you some key similarities between them however I am also going to share some pointed differences.
Both stories start with the earth being extremely populated, with no foreseen break in the continuation of the booming culture. The earth was too full. People were rowdy and reckless. Crime was widespread and grew day to day. The difference pertaining to this is the reason the flood was sent. Noah’s’ story rules that the flood was sent because the earth had become corrupt and filled with violence. The only way to destroy this violence was to drown everyone but the chosen few. These chosen few were hand-picked by God as good people to start a new, more wholesome and obedient nation. Gilgamesh’s story says the reason for the flood was the excessive human noisiness. In the
In the Epic of Gilgamesh I believe it was set in the plains of Mesopotamia similar to the Biblical flood.
In both stories a god or gods chose to send the world wide flood. In Noah’s story it was intended for all man kind except Noah, his wife and family. In Gilgamesh’s story it was intended for one city and all mankind. Noah and his family and Utnapishtim were the chosen ones to build boats so that they could survive the coming flood. The boat was to be sealed with resin inside and out. A set time is made by the divinity for the flood to begin. In Noah’s story it would rain for forty days; In Gilgamesh’s story it would rain for seven days. The flood would include both rain and water from the surface. The boats would come to rest on a mountain first. In Noah’s on Mt. Ararat, Gilgamesh’s would land on Mt. Nimush.
Birds were too released to test for whether or not the waters had moved away. In the Noah’s...