A Great Flood

‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ is a myth about one man’s quest for eternal life. Within the epic, there is a story about a flood that is much like the Biblical account in Genesis. The purpose for both of the floods is similar, as are the boats and the characters that save both Noah and Utnapishtim. The Genesis version of the story is more historically accurate, although both tales are believable.
To begin with, the purpose for both floods are alike. The Genesis account states that God brought the flood as a judgment on a sinful earth. “So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:7; ESV). In ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh,’ the gods send a flood to destroy a prosperous city, only because the gods were ‘in a killing mood.’ The Gilgamesh version claims Ea, the god who was friend to man, warns Utnapishtim. “O man, the floods will come; now, save thyself; dismantle all they home.”
Secondly, to be rescued from great waters, both men are commanded to build boats. The version of the Genesis account is more realistic than the other, for Utnapishtim’s boat is a cube; Noah’s ark is more of a rectangle. “This is how you are to make it: The length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits...” (Genesis 6:15 ESV). Whereas the vessel of Utnapishtim does not have specific instructions; “...With boards, construct a vessel, water-tight and large... As seven decks with nine compartments neared completion; cube-like was its shape....” Noah’s ship takes 120 years to build, but Utnapishtim’s a mere week. Though both ships are watertight and seaworthy, the Genesis account is probably more reliable because of its rectangular shape.
Finally, because God/the gods do not want to completely destroy all the earth’s inhabitants, Noah and Utnapishtim gather food and load animals onto their vessels. Although many animals are taken aboard the boat, the Bible clearly states how many of each species were taken and that there were both male and female of each kind. On the other hand, the Gilgamesh Epic does not make clear how many of each animal and whether or not the animals were taken aboard were both male and female.
Even though the flood is historically true, it is noticeable that the Genesis account is the more realistic than the Gilgamesh epic. The similarities between the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Genesis account are striking, especially considering the fact that they come from two different civilizations. Both narratives contain a flood, one spared man and his family, and a ship. However, the two sagas are different from each other in the shape of the ship, the purpose for the flood, and the length of time to build the boats. “The LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." (Genesis 7:21-22, ESV).

^oh dear... it's my Gilgamesh paper! EEK!

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^Oh god, we JUST finished Gilgamesh yesterday (In class essay on the symbolism of "the plant and the snake." )! Now we're on "A Separate Peace."

A Separate Peace
^Wow... how surprising

Sonstiges

^Hmm... interesting... I love this game, I always get so surprised when pasting!!

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((Gah...Gilgamesh! *hides* I HATED that story))

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/p ... poster.jpg

^ a poster I'd just made for a contest and was posting in the thread

Very pretty, potr! I voted for you.

lxk11@*****.org

^Woah... my friend's school email. *Changes to stars* Better.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j7/im ... hilien.jpg

tee-hee

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What we do in life echoes in eternity
~Maximus, Gladiator

^I was being nostalgic and looking through the old forum when I found it in Arwen's sig

^oh look, it's my signature!

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^:lol:

that, if anything, it was a subconscious manifestation of Gene's paranoia

^Part of a response to a question on A Separate Peace. I was spell checking on google because word is screwed up and I'm using a program without one.

a picture of my boyfriend I posted in the picture thread.. ha ha

I think Jack is grooming Gwen for second in command.

^Quoting someones post on an LJ community

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<title>Aldheorte&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Version 1.0&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Silence]</title>

^Working on my website

siepman

lol a friend's last name

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^heh

E x e r c i c e .

Où est Monsieur Dupont?
Où est Alice?
Où sont Roger et Jean?
Fritz Hickel est-il à Strasbourg?
Es-tu ici dans un jardin?
Est-ce que Roger est à l'école?
Madame Dupont est-elle dans la maison?
Où sont les crayons?
Où sommes-nous ici?
Êtez-vous ici dans une salle d'école?
Êtez-vous à Chaville?
Où est le tapis?
Est-ce que ce livre est sur la table?
Strasbourg est-il en France?
Êtez-vous ici chez M. Dupont?
Où sont les livres?
Où est la poupée d'Alice?
Où est Berlin?
M. et Mme. Dupont sont-ils en Alsace?
Chaville est-il en Alsace?


Well what'd ya know? It's my French homework!

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