Similarities Between Gilgamesh And The Bible

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The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Bible are two forms of literature created possibly during the second millennia BCE. The dates of when they were written are still speculated and approximate. There are legends of the flood in other cultures and it is difficult to ascertain which of these two stories were created first or where it originated. Sinlequiunninni wrote the epic and Hebrews believe Moses penned Genesis, yet upon analyzing both respective flood tales they are surprisingly similar, although the resemblances have small differences. The epic featured several gods, two of which played major roles. Enlil, god of earth, wind, and air, caused the flood and Ea, god of wisdom and craft, whom warned Utnapishtim about humanity’s impending doom. In Genesis, a single God exists whom delivered judgment.…show more content…
Ea did not agree with Enlil’s plan, but was not vocal about his disapproval. Instead he sought to thwart his plans by divulging information to Utnapishtim. It is unclear why Ea selected King Utnapishtim as the savior. Perhaps the king was loyal and revered Ea devotedly and earned the god’s favor. The same scenario transpired in genesis. A man by the name of Noah was chosen for his exemplary behavior and was favored by God. He determined a flood to be the only viable solution to eradicate the wickedness on Earth by eliminating humans and animals in the process. The same form of natural disaster was selected in both stories to wipe out living things. It is unknown as to the reason for the purge of Earth by Enil, but it could be that humans have angered him to justify his hasty and irrational decision just as God in

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