Genesis 1–11 and the Epic of Gilgamesh (Old Testament in Cultural Context)
The flood narratives found in the Epic of Gilgamesh and in the book of Genesis are quite similar. The stories have the same plot beats and similar characters. A deity or deities are disturbed by humankind and respond by planning to destroy civilization. A human man (Utnapishtim in the Epic of Gilgamesh and Noah in the book of Genesis) is forewarned of this destruction and survives a violent, widespread flood by escaping on a boat with a handful of animals and other humans. After a certain period of time, the hero releases a series of birds, and the birds’ behaviors communicate whether it is safe for the humans to leave the boat. The narratives end with the humans giving sacrifice, and the deity expresses some level of regret over the flood and blesses the remaining humans. Both the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Biblical flood narrative follow this plot. Though these two stories seem to say the same thing, there are key differences, especially when considering the theological message. I will focus on three contrasting elements: the reasons for the flood, how the human hero finds out about the impending flood, and the nature of the deities.
First, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods are upset over the noise of humanity. The clamor caused by the multitude of humans prevent the deities from sleeping, and the gods plot to destroy the noisy humans. In Genesis, the reason for the flood is stated in 6:13, “So God said to Noah, I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.’” The evilness in humanity is the direct cause of the flood. In the Biblical narrative, God is concerned with the behavior of humanity, and there is a theme of human rebellion against their Creator. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods are portrayed as distant, only disturbed by the humans when their sleep patterns are disrupted. There is no commentary on the nature or wickedness of humans, while in Genesis, the humans are said to be corrupt and violent. The hero Noah stands out from humanity because of his righteousness, which leads to the next element of differences.
Because Noah is righteous and blameless, God forewarns Noah of his judgment on humanity, even providing specific instructions for how to survive, namely by building an ark. Noah is not an afterthought to God, and he does not accidentally find out about the impending doom. But Utnapishtim is warned in a dream by Ea, a different god than the god Enlil who incites the other gods to release the flood. When Enlil finds out that some humans survived, he is enraged and Ea tells a half-truth about how Utnapishtim found out about the flood. There is no quality about Utnapishtim that caused Ea to warn him about the flood, no comment about his character or even a lack of noise. Utnapishtim seems to be chosen at random at the benevolence of Ea. This contrasts with God forewarning Noah. Genesis 11:9 implies that Noah had a close relationship with God and lived in accordance to God’s desire for how humans are to live. God does not tell just anyone what is about to happen, he tells the man who “walked with God,” who was righteous and blameless. God’s mercy towards and rescue of Noah and his family reveal the fundamental difference between the flood narratives of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible.
In the biblical account, God is portrayed as merciful and long-suffering, in contrast to the temperamental gods in the Epic of Gilgamesh. He does not snap at the first act of evil but waits a long time before finally administering judgment against humanity. His action is portrayed as just — purifying his creation of the corruption humanity caused. He is not unleashing the flood due to a petty disruption, as in the Epic of Gilgamesh, but rather because of humanity’s wickedness and violence. Throughout Genesis 6–11, the element of “covenant” is mentioned. I will not go into the nature of covenant in this paper except to say that this links God to humans in a deep and personal way. God cares about humanity and the nature of humans so much that he creates eternal bonds with people. He desires for humanity to be upright, not evil, and God’s actions work to help humans in that journey.
Works Cited
Sandars, N. K. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Penguin Books, 1960.
