The Epic of Gilgamesh

Paper Summary:

The following paper delineates the host of similarities which bind together the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Book of Genesis. The paper argues that Adam and Enkidu are very much interchangeable, and that the same can be said also about Utnapishtim and Noah. Given that the Sumerian tale is so old extending back as it does almost to a prehistoric period, the paper suggests that the earliest tales of the Bible either drew from it or are rife with a startling number of coincidences.

From the Paper:

"A Brief Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Judeo-Christian Bible Few ancient tales are more engrossing than The Epic of Gilgamesh. The following paper will first contextualize the Epic by examining the ancient society which gave birth to it and proceed from there to review the ancient Sumerian tale and assess how its depiction of certain events compares - or does not compare - to the biblical depiction of those same occurrences. Ultimately, what should emerge is a recognition that Judeo-Christian literature owes part of its richness and splendor to pre-Christian civilizations. Time does not permit a lengthy exploration of the Sumerian culture which produced the enduring tale of Gilgamesh. Nonetheless, the Epic reflects an early culture that was and is, in many ways, quite similar to ancient Judeo-Christian culture."

More papers on The Epic of Gilgamesh:

• Analytical Essay # 28619 : "The Epic of Gilgamesh"
• Analytical Essay # 129916 : "Enkidu in "The Epic of Gilgamesh"
• Comparison Essay # 83910 : "The Epic of Gilgamesh"
• Analytical Essay # 28399 : "The Epic of Gilgamesh": A Review"

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