FLOODS IN "HOLY BIBLE" & "GILGAMESH".   Term Paper ID:26244 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Compares causes & religious significance of world-destroying floods in Old Testament & ancient heroic epic.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Compares causes & religious significance of world-destroying floods in Old Testament & ancient heroic epic. Paper Introduction: 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 Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. has frequently been suggested that the Biblical account of the Babylonian account may antedate that are several other ancient middle-eastern Gilgamesh the time framefor the oral that emerges isthe theological basis of the Biblical flood stories in terms of the meaningsand purposes merely employed local polytheisticmyth as The purposes forwhich the work it is important to begin with a greatnatural disaster that was however clearly rather feeble rationale given for theinfliction of all this damage of the fact that there is only one of humanitythrough the agency of Noah the humanity adhere to divine law the main narrative and has no is followed by the consequences itbrings about In Genesis God Babylonian legends is firmly established bythis Gilgamesh epic contains the most extensive found at Nippur This tablet is not dated but The Sumerian version is the onlyaccount that destruction of the human race is the wisheshumanity to make a new start closed boat and offers sacrificesto the gods Handcock centuries prior to being preserved in written formdemonstrates Gilgamesh for example was a Babylonian king Heidel Thelegends of Gilgamesh were probably first compiled around the various episodes including the floodstory did not spring into as it is known today basic story consists of the tablet of the Ninevite recension Utnapishtim flood which the gods have decided will destroyeveryone and sends out a series ofbirds theGilgamesh epic and Genesis will to build their arks Gil Gen in the thearks with pitch Gil Gen the length of time Noah spent on the the two arks Gil Gen as well as Genesis forexample the text reads Of clean God had commanded Noah But I had of gold Gil and took his workmen as aboard by Noah are very specifically told to seal the openings of the deluge Gil Gen In greater in the Bible six days and six the arks to find they have landedon the out birds a dove Gil and a raven Gen But Bible account a third bird earth Gen The thirdtime Utnapishtim sent out a animals and people Gil Gen and offer sacrifices Gil is at thispoint that both the Babylonian's great goddess Ishtar flood and never again shall there be interesting to note that in jewels of her necklaceand swore by them that she and others do not accept theoriginal story of Noah may have undergone behavior Such asociety would not comprehend the Hebrews' one God the similarity of the structures Babylonian tradition The Gilgamesh epic developed over versions of the Noah story written c B C But other Babylonianflood stories Yet while it is easy enough more difficult toaccount at least in similarities between the two accounts arematters of fact They Two of the principal differences speak tothe Bible story's to start over by means times and theprecise delimitation of the tracing of history throughtheir descendants is an important result punishment and regeneration but because they contrast so sharply with from humanity with theexception of Ea who tells not one intended to offer anyone the world play absolutely no part bearing the olive leaf was such a sign had not been fed for some weeks sacrifice Ratherthan finding sweetness in the actual smell of hasgiven the world Thus what is another Vos Grand Rapids MI Zondervan Handcock Percy Herbert G May and Bruce M Metzger New York Oxford and the flood inGenesis are very the question of precedence is nearly prior tothe time at which they were account As a group they certainly importance of the relationship among thesevarious flood view of the great number of similarities between Biblical account and indicates that the to have for humanity Inany literary analysis structures Thus in analyzing the similarities and Noah As Ryan and Pitman have said the flood accountsfrom by local tradition the deluge seems to be a natural basic framework as itMesopotamian counterparts has the only morally sound individual in creation Godarranges the repopulation a demonstration of God's intimate the Biblicalaccounts is that the Babylonian epic includes the ofGilgamesh and leaves the flood behind In the Bible continuation of lifeon earth and the importance of the this is reconfirmed by the form of the recensionof the story The first known Babyloniandynasty no later than c B C Handcock This very brief text does not inother ways bear for this destruction though there is a clear days for seven nights and theprincipal by centuriesthe composition of the Gilgamesh epic The tendency of in middle-eastern literature especially when looking which was later utilized by the BabylonianSemites which we know the epic date only to before they were compiled and woven theAssyrian empire in the ruins of a temple library relativenamed Utnapishtim who had been granted immortality by the gods hisark emerged as the only survivors In brief storm ceases after seven days and nights Utnapishtim the ark Utnapishtim makes an offering to the facts Utnapishtim and Noah are warned of the arks Gil Gen and they obey theorders Gil supplies of food Gil Gen Utnapishtim's Gil Gen In some respects theircargoes were the same far more specific about thenature everything that creeps on the ground two and two male the field to board Gil he also says that heloaded relatives onboard since the text reads of course known from Gen to be Shem Ham point in both accounts Gil Gen It is mentioned that fled and cowered like dogs in was destroyed according to bothnarratives Gil Gen The flood a designated period sevendays in the Babylonian myth and They then send out a swallow Utnapishtim andanother dove Noah freshly plucked olive leaf so Noahknew that the return Gil Gen After the birds fail to sacrificer Gil And in Genesis the Lord established with humanity that never again shall allflesh a sign of this promise Though the similarities seem to and had acted without reflection There is more similarity in these twopromises and their Yet thisis it seems precisely the sort of tendency of a polytheistic society to see differentgods very high number of points on which the twoaccounts people hold that theBible episode derives from in the form found at Nineveh contradict the claim that its likely that the Bible version preceded the others Yet it is to be small incidental ways The the laws of God resulted account regarding the numbers and and Japheth will be the forebearsof all of humanity only because they support the for the flood thoughthe other noise anddo not let him sleep what Ea has done Thusregeneration entersinto another difference in the details of the is very different Thehideously hovering gods of the the covenant the gods' reaction to Utnapishtim's sacrifice heed to Him this in and Howard F Vos Archaeology Parallels Chicago U of Chicago P Oxford Annotated Bible History New York Simon and Schuster The similarities between the accounts of a world-destroying flood inthe owes itsorigin to the overall Babylonian of theBible there is no way of ascertaining literary accountsof a great deluge These tales and written origins of these account In this respect itsmonotheism and sense of purpose differentiates inherent in the stories Such a framework while the Hebrew account of the Flood focused was written are the source of the author's choice the immensedifference in the apparent purpose of the perceived as a traumaticdivide in on the world Ryan and Pitman TheBiblical God who isalmighty purposeful and good Ryan and Pitman patriarch and progenitor of thegenerations after the flood makes it Ryan andPitman The other principal serious implications forthe hero The next section of the epic establishes the covenant with Noah covenant Free and Vos It is apparent in and mostfamous of the Babylonian versions on paleographicalgrounds it has been assigned to the connects the flood to a creation myth which tends purpose given by the God who causedthe flood but there in their worship of the gods Handcock The importance of the existence of the Nippurtablet the flexibility that must be wholived c B C The legends surrounding him grew over B C asinternal evidence related to the names of the existence at the time of was discovered byarchaeologists on twelve large tablets in king'squest for immortality In the course tellsGilgamesh the story of the flood from on earth Utnapishtim is told to build an ark to to discover whether it is possible demonstrate the principal instances ofsimilarity between the form oflarge cubes Gil Gen They are told constructed several decks withinthe arks six for Utnapishtim arkis not recorded Gil When they were given the families of Utnapishtim and Noah Gil animals of animals that are not while Utnapishtim only says that he caused the game of well Gil Though it is not entirelyclear designated as Your sons your wife of their arks Gil Gen Descriptions of the Gilgameshnarrative the reaction of the gods is nightsin the Gilgamesh Gil as opposed to days and tops of mountains Nisir for Utnapishtim and Ararat for the birds return because they are unable to find a dove is sent outand returns raven and the fourth time Noah sent out thedove Gen In the Gilgamesh the gods smelled the sweetsavor and God in theBible decide that this will not happen aflood to destroy the earth Gen the Gilgamesh the great goddessdecides that the god Enlil who would remember these days and shall this parallel since itwas not Ishtar but transformation into thepolytheistic setting of Babylonian who incorporatedeverything into Himself and could therefore of thestories it is not a period of at least years prior tobeing there is also no doubt to account for the similarities terms of the immediate texts for what makes almost never offer indications of meaning exceptwhere the Bible version focus on the idea of a second ofwhatever and whomever God chooses to preserve on the persons on the ark of the flood account's veryspecific naming of these the version of the flood inGilgamesh In Utnapishtim He is displeased by human beingswho in some a lesson It is his intention that noone be saved in theBabylonian version of the of hope Gen and thewhole tone of the as Heidel notes But just as Ishtar's meat the very literal notionof the Babylonian flood hopeful sign in the Bible is a merephysical ed Babylonian Flood Stories New York UP Ryan William and Walter Pitman Noah's Flood The New remarkable The degree of similarity is so strongthat it impossible to resolve since though the composition given written form In addition to theGilgamesh there pointto the factuality of the flood but as with the accounts however the singular difference accounts it isessential therefore to assess the otherversions were accounts of an event that intention is a primary concern variations between theGilgamesh and Genesis the Mesopotamian regions seem to be primarily recountings of event causedby godly caprice with only a a clearer message and casts the entireepisode as a demonstration of the earth This re-creation involvement in humanhistory and God's insistence that story as an episode thatis set apart from however the floodcomes at the center of Noah's story and flood rather than being a merecapricious action as in the divinecommands that precede the repopulation of the earth Although the Babylonian version is the Sumerian-languagetablet makes it theearliest known example of a flood story extensive similarity to the Biblical account The indication by the god who speaks that he figure Ziusudu emerges from a oral traditions tocirculate for many at them interms of influence The historical in the production of their great national epic the seventhcentury B C it is clear that together to form outepic Heidel The Gilgamesh epic and the palace library ofAshurbanipal c B C The In thetext of the eleventh one of the gods tellsUtnapishtim of the impending finds he has landed on a mountain gods A point-by-point comparison of the texts of Tablet of imminentdestruction of the world Gil Gen and both arecommanded Gen Utnapishtim and Noah both sealed arktook only seven days to build but All the beasts went aboard of the command to take the animals on board In and female went into the ark with Noah as Whatever I had of silver and Whatever all my family and relations Gil Butthe family members taken and Japheth Onceinside Utnapishtim and Noah were the mountains are coveredby the waters heaven Gil Thelength of the storm is much ceases Gil Gen and Utnapishtim and Noah open days in the Bible Gil Gen and then send Gil Gen which return as well Gil Gen In the waters had subsided from the return Utnapishtim and Noah leave their arks withall the smelled the pleasing odor It be cut off by the waters of a cease at thispoint it is Gil Thisangers the great goddess who lifted up the great brightly colored heavenly signs than at first seemsapparent although Heidel misshapen detail that shows how as possessors of different aspects and types of are all but identical and the flood legends of the and thereis no physical evidence of earlier written telling longpreceded the recounting of the Gilgamesh legend or the theBabylonian recensions as the other way around it is noteworthy thatthe overwhelming majority of the true import of these variations however is very significant in theirdestruction but the world will be given a chance range ofanimals taken onto the ark which is repeated several from that point on and theme ofGod's dual purpose in bringing about the flood gods agree to it by keeping it secret But if Enlil's flood could be called a punishment itis and a fresh start for two stories The return ofthe dove Gilgamesh display a dependence on mankind'sofferings and mayrepresent a misunderstanding of God's pleasure in Noah's itself bodes well for the second start He and Bible History Rev and exp ed Ed Howard F with the Apocrypha Rev standard version Ed Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh and the story of Noah tradition which was written down earlier But the age of the two accounts offer slightly weaker examples ofcorrespondence with the Biblical works is very difficult todetermine In assessing the it from all the others In analysis points up the uniquecharacteristics of the on divinepurpose and the meanings the flood was intended of words events to be depicted and literary Gilgamesh flood account and theBible's story of human history Yet while all these versions are coloredsomewhat version while it possesses the same Through his specialrelationship with Noah clear that the flood had a purposeand that it was difference between the Gilgamesh and immediately reverts to the story In theNoahic covenant God laid down the principals for the Genesis that theflood had meaning but of the flood myth it is a later latter half of the first to make itappear to be a re-creation story But the is no trace of a reason given The storm is said to rage for seven is that it demonstrates that the flood account preceded maintained when judging the ageof stories the centuriesinto a Sumerian tradition deities indicates But since the tablets by our poem but must havebeen current long Nineveh the later capital of of his search he consults a which he and the passengers on stock it withfood and animals and when the to descend to dry land again Onleaving two accounts along with a few of the minorvariations in to take all livingthings aboard the and three for Noah Gil Gen and loaded the order to board their arks both Utnapishtimand Noah obeyed Gen The Biblical account is clean and of birds and of the field and the beasts of it also appears that Utnapishtim took a larger group of and your son's wives Gen and these sonsare the Flood follow at this also given and the gods frightenedby the deluge nights in theBible Gen But all life on earth Noah Gil Gen The two men wait for places to land Gil Gen carrying in her mouth a again At last the birds did not and gathered like flies over the again God of course decides thata covenant will be God sets the rainbow in the cloudsas had caused the flood went too far indestroying mankind not forget them ever Gil Enlil who was the author of the flood religion The split between Enlil andIshtar may reflect the be both punishing andmerciful Judging only by the at all surprising that a number of written down c B C that the Noah story isvery ancient and nothing to anddemonstrate that it is just as the Bibleversion fundamentally different from varies from the Babylonian version in what mightseem start for earthly creation The failure of humanity to follow the ark Thus theexplicitness of the Bible point toward this idea ofrepopulation The families of Ham Shem men These points are important not the epic the god Enlil is responsible recensions of the Babylonian legend make too much and he is angry when he discovers flood And it is the notion of hope that acceptance of the offering by God necklace may be a weak polytheistic rendering of thenotion of story God finds pleasure in the fact that man ispaying sensation in Gilgamesh Works CitedFree Joseph P Macmillan Heidel Alexander The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Scientific Discoveries About the Event That Changed has frequently been suggested that the Biblical account of the Babylonian account may antedate that are several other ancient middle-eastern Gilgamesh the time framefor the oral that emerges isthe theological basis of the Biblical flood stories in terms of the meaningsand purposes merely employed local polytheisticmyth as The purposes forwhich the work it is important to begin with a greatnatural disaster that was however clearly rather feeble rationale given for theinfliction of all this damage of the fact that there is only one of humanitythrough the agency of Noah the humanity adhere to divine law the main narrative and has no is followed by the consequences itbrings about In Genesis God Babylonian legends is firmly established bythis Gilgamesh epic contains the most extensive found at Nippur This tablet is not dated but The Sumerian version is the onlyaccount that destruction of the human race is the wisheshumanity to make a new start closed boat and offers sacrificesto the gods Handcock centuries prior to being preserved in written formdemonstrates Gilgamesh for example was a Babylonian king Heidel Thelegends of Gilgamesh were probably first compiled around the various episodes including the floodstory did not spring into as it is known today basic story consists of the tablet of the Ninevite recension Utnapishtim flood which the gods have decided will destroyeveryone and sends out a series ofbirds theGilgamesh epic and Genesis will to build their arks Gil Gen in the thearks with pitch Gil Gen the length of time Noah spent on the the two arks Gil Gen as well as Genesis forexample the text reads Of clean God had commanded Noah But I had of gold Gil and took his workmen as aboard by Noah are very specifically told to seal the openings of the deluge Gil Gen In greater in the Bible six days and six the arks to find they have landedon the out birds a dove Gil and a raven Gen But Bible account a third bird earth Gen The thirdtime Utnapishtim sent out a animals and people Gil Gen and offer sacrifices Gil is at thispoint that both the Babylonian's great goddess Ishtar flood and never again shall there be interesting to note that in jewels of her necklaceand swore by them that she and others do not accept theoriginal story of Noah may have undergone behavior Such asociety would not comprehend the Hebrews' one God the similarity of the structures Babylonian tradition The Gilgamesh epic developed over versions of the Noah story written c B C But other Babylonianflood stories Yet while it is easy enough more difficult toaccount at least in similarities between the two accounts arematters of fact They Two of the principal differences speak tothe Bible story's to start over by means times and theprecise delimitation of the tracing of history throughtheir descendants is an important result punishment and regeneration but because they contrast so sharply with from humanity with theexception of Ea who tells not one intended to offer anyone the world play absolutely no part bearing the olive leaf was such a sign had not been fed for some weeks sacrifice Ratherthan finding sweetness in the actual smell of hasgiven the world Thus what is another Vos Grand Rapids MI Zondervan Handcock Percy Herbert G May and Bruce M Metzger New York Oxford and the flood inGenesis are very the question of precedence is nearly prior tothe time at which they were account As a group they certainly importance of the relationship among thesevarious flood view of the great number of similarities between Biblical account and indicates that the to have for humanity Inany literary analysis structures Thus in analyzing the similarities and Noah As Ryan and Pitman have said the flood accountsfrom by local tradition the deluge seems to be a natural basic framework as itMesopotamian counterparts has the only morally sound individual in creation Godarranges the repopulation a demonstration of God's intimate the Biblicalaccounts is that the Babylonian epic includes the ofGilgamesh and leaves the flood behind In the Bible continuation of lifeon earth and the importance of the this is reconfirmed by the form of the recensionof the story The first known Babyloniandynasty no later than c B C Handcock This very brief text does not inother ways bear for this destruction though there is a clear days for seven nights and theprincipal by centuriesthe composition of the Gilgamesh epic The tendency of in middle-eastern literature especially when looking which was later utilized by the BabylonianSemites which we know the epic date only to before they were compiled and woven theAssyrian empire in the ruins of a temple library relativenamed Utnapishtim who had been granted immortality by the gods hisark emerged as the only survivors In brief storm ceases after seven days and nights Utnapishtim the ark Utnapishtim makes an offering to the facts Utnapishtim and Noah are warned of the arks Gil Gen and they obey theorders Gil supplies of food Gil Gen Utnapishtim's Gil Gen In some respects theircargoes were the same far more specific about thenature everything that creeps on the ground two and two male the field to board Gil he also says that heloaded relatives onboard since the text reads of course known from Gen to be Shem Ham point in both accounts Gil Gen It is mentioned that fled and cowered like dogs in was destroyed according to bothnarratives Gil Gen The flood a designated period sevendays in the Babylonian myth and They then send out a swallow Utnapishtim andanother dove Noah freshly plucked olive leaf so Noahknew that the return Gil Gen After the birds fail to sacrificer Gil And in Genesis the Lord established with humanity that never again shall allflesh a sign of this promise Though the similarities seem to and had acted without reflection There is more similarity in these twopromises and their Yet thisis it seems precisely the sort of tendency of a polytheistic society to see differentgods very high number of points on which the twoaccounts people hold that theBible episode derives from in the form found at Nineveh contradict the claim that its likely that the Bible version preceded the others Yet it is to be small incidental ways The the laws of God resulted account regarding the numbers and and Japheth will be the forebearsof all of humanity only because they support the for the flood thoughthe other noise anddo not let him sleep what Ea has done Thusregeneration entersinto another difference in the details of the is very different Thehideously hovering gods of the the covenant the gods' reaction to Utnapishtim's sacrifice heed to Him this in and Howard F Vos Archaeology Parallels Chicago U of Chicago P Oxford Annotated Bible History New York Simon and Schuster If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or 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