Essay Comparing The Flood In Genesis And The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Stories have been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of time. However, most facts in the stories change over time. In the following essay, the two stories being discussed have surprisingly remained the same. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Biblical account of the Flood in Genesis (the two stories being discussed) are two stories that have differences in their storyline facts, but similarities, also, in their storyline facts and reason behind why each one happened. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the man’s name is Utnapishtim, and he was told in a dream to build the ship. His ship was square in shape, and the flood in The Epic of Gilgamesh only lasted six days and seven nights. Also Utnapishtim’s ship landed on Mount Nisir; he sent out three birds, a dove, a swallow, and a raven. Utnapishtim at the end of his story received a blessing of eternal life after he sacrificed to his gods. Contrary to The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Biblical account of the Flood in Genesis talks about a man named Noah, who was told directly by God to build a ship. Noah’s ship was

Both storylines contain facts about a man being instructed to build a ship, how only certain people were allowed onto the ship, all different species of animals were led onto each ship, both ships contained a door and a window, and the flood that occurred covered the whole earth in both accounts. Also after the flood in both stories, each man sent out a bird to see if there was dry land. The unique thing is that in each story both men send out birds, and the last bird, in each account, doesn’t come back. Both ships land on a mountain; both men offer sacrifices, and both men’s gods promise never to destroy mankind with water again. Both stories have similarities in their storyline facts, but the most important similarity between the two stories is the reason behind both