Noah and Gilgamesh: The Floods

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how, since its discovery in the mid-19th century, "The Epic of Gilgamesh" has been of interest to Christians because of its account of a universal flood, which has significant parallels to the flood of Noah's day.

From the Paper:

"The meanings of the names of the heroes have absolutely no common connection. Noah means "rest," while Utnapishtim means "finder of life" (O'Brien, 1986). Neither Noah nor Utnapishtim were perfect, but both were righteous. Utnapishtim also took a pilot for the boat, and some craftsmen, not just his family. Both accounts trace the landing spot to the same general region of the Middle East; however, Mt. Ararat and Mt. Nisir are about 300 miles apart. The blessing that each hero received after the flood was also quite different."

More papers on Noah and Gilgamesh: The Floods:

• Analytical Essay # 149408 : "The Biblical Flood and the "Epic of Gilgamesh"
• Comparison Essay # 1377 : "Stories of the Flood in the Bible and the "Epic of Gilgamesh"
• Comparison Essay # 59905 : "The Flood: Gilgamesh vs. Noah"

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