Flood narratives are common in many cultures and ancient texts, being recorded, retold and shared by the people. Many of them share certain similarities, but differences are apparent as well. In order to examine the variety in flood stories, Noah’s story from the Bible and the Sumerian flood will be compared. Superficially, the two stories have much in common, including a flood that erases all life, a certain person being chosen to survive on a ship, the building process of said ship, and a rainbow signifying that no more great floods will happen.
However, the details that surround these plotlines are different in the two narratives. In the Bible, Noah is explicitly chosen by God for his virtue, and others are condemned “you and all your family—out of everyone in this generation, you’re the righteous one” (Holy Bible, New International Version, Genesis 7:1). God was convinced about the man’s vices, feeling that there was no other way than to wipe every person off the face of the earth. Comparatively, the Sumerian protagonist Ut-napištim happens to be alerted by one of the gods, Ea, who is privy to other gods wanting to cause a flood. The decision to pick Ut-napištim is not based any inherent qualities of the man, or his family. Ea instructs him to “Abandon wealth and seek living beings! Spurn possessions and keep alive living beings! Make [the seed of] all living beings go up into the boat” (“Epic of Gilgamesh – Sumerian Flood Story 2750 – 2500 BCE”). Affitionally, the Epic of Gilgamesh clearly shows Ut-napištim’s and other gods’ sadness over the event, treating it as a catastrophic and unnecessary loss of life. It is said that “The gods – those of the Anunnaki were weeping with her, the gods humbly sat weeping, sobbing with grief, their lips burning, parched with thirst” (“Epic of Gilgamesh – Sumerian Flood Story 2750 – 2500 BCE”). The biblical story, on the other hand, frames the flood as the necessary evil, the decision that neither God nor Noah seem to regret.
Works Cited
“Epic of Gilgamesh – Sumerian Flood Story 2750 – 2500 BCE.” HistoryWiz: for students, teachers and lovers of history, Web.
“Holy Bible, New International Version. Noah and the Flood.” (n.d.) BibleGateway. Web.