The Epic of Gilgamesh & Genesis: compare and contrast essay
There are many flood stories told by different cultures. These stories are spread out among different peoples, religions, and countries. These stories have elements that are the same but some parts of the stories differ from each other. Two of those stories are the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis. In the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis both men are allowed to bring their families with them. However, where they land and what type of boat they sailed are not the same in the two myths.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh goes to the immortal Utnapishtim; who survived the flood. He told Gilgamesh about how one of the gods, Ea, said for him to build a ship. Utnapishtim was also to bring animals and his family on it. The ship was built in a square shape, 120 cubits on each side, and was seven stories tall. After the flood, the ship landed in modern day Iraq.
In Genesis, God is going to flood the earth because he feels the people are evil but chooses Noah to survive. He tells Noah to build an ark and fill it with all the animals and plants of the earth. Noah is also allowed to bring his family. The ship is built 300x50x30 cubits, is three stories tall, and has a dome like hull. Noah's Ark landed on the mountains of Ararat, in modern day Turkey.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis have elements of the story that are different, like where the ships landed and the construction of the ship; it also has a similarity in that the men's families were both allowed to come with them. Both stories talked about a great flood, brought on by the anger of the god(s), with the ships landing in the Middle East.
