Similarities of Flood Accounts
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The similarities between the accounts of a world-destroying flood in the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh and the story of Noah and the flood in Genesis 6-8 are very remarkable. The degree of similarity is so strong that it has frequently been suggested that the Biblical account owes its origin to the overall Babylonian tradition--which was written down earlier. But the question of precedence is nearly impossible to resolve since, though the composition of the Babylonian account may antedate that of the Bible, there is no way of ascertaining the age of the two accounts prior to the time at which they were given written form. In addition to the Gilgamesh, there are several other ancient middle-eastern literary accounts of a great deluge. These tales offer slightly weaker examples of correspondence with the Biblical account. As a group they certainly point to the factuality of the flood, but, as with the Gilgamesh, the time frame for the oral and written origins of these works is very difficult to determine. In assessing the importance of the relationship among these various flood accounts, however, the singular difference that emerges is the theological basis of the Biblical account. In this respect its monotheism and sense of purpose differentiates it from all the others. In view of the great number of similarities between accounts it is essential, therefore, to assess the flood stories in terms of the meanings and purposes inherent in the stories. Such analysis points
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are told to take all living things aboard the arks (Gil. 11:27-28; Gen. 6:19-20) and they obey the orders (Gil. 11:33-85; Gen. 6:22). Utnapishtim and Noah both sealed the arks with pitch (Gil. 11:53; Gen. 6:14), constructed several decks within the arks--six for Utnapishtim and three for Noah (Gil. 11:60; Gen. 6:16), and loaded supplies of food (Gil. 11:76; Gen. 6:21). Utnapishtim's ark took only seven days to build, but the length of time Noah spent on the ark is not recorded (Gil. 11:76).
When they were given the order to board their arks both Utnapishtim and Noah obeyed (Gil. 11:86-88; Gen. 7:1-3). In some respects their cargoes were the same. All the beasts went aboard the two arks (Gil. 11:85; Gen. 7:13-16), as well as the families of Utnapishtim and Noah (Gil. 11:83-84; Gen. 7:7-8). The Biblical account is far more specific about the nature of the command to take the animals on board. In Genesis 7:8, for example, the text reads, "Of clean animals, of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah". But, while Utnapishtim only says that he "caused the game of the field [and] the beasts of the f
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Approximate Word count = 3317
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page)
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