Compare and Contrast Between the Flood in Gilgamesh and...

Outline Thesis: The flood stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis have many points of agreement, suggesting that they are somehow connected. Yet, there are also many differences. This term paper will identify similarities and differences in both. I. Introduction II. Gilgamesh a. What is the Epic of Gilgamesh? b. When was it written? c. What is it about? d. Describe the beliefs of the people. III. The Old Testament a. When was it written? b. Describe the flood? IV. Comparison of the Two a. Which came first? b. Describe the similarities. V. Summary VI. Works Cited Abstract This term paper compares the flood story in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible and the flood story in Gilgamesh. It identifies links†¦show more content†¦The people of this time also believe in fate and place their fate in the hands of the gods. Gilgamesh lives in a way that is ordained by the gods: The destiny was fulfilled which the father of the gods, Enlil of the mountain, had decreed for Gilgamesh (Sandars 118). The leader is not overly revered and is seen as embodying the fate, security, and stability of the people and their kingdom. When Gilgamesh dies, the people lament. Every aspect of life is ascribed to a god or gods. The death of Gilgamesh is attributed to Ereshkigal, the Queen of Death, and to all the gods of the dead (Sandars 119). The people see the world as a place of many dangers, ruled by different gods who behave as rulers of their particular kingdom. Humbaba is such a ruler, and his domain is the forest known as the Co untry of the Living, lying somewhere on the outer bounds of earth and reality (Sandars 33). The people value the warlike strength of Gilgamesh because he can protect them from these other gods, as well as from other rulers who might attack them. In ancient Sumeria, the people came more and more to depend on any leader who could accomplish such a feat and protect them from their neighbors, intruders from outside the area, and anyone who might want to plunder their villages. The tendency was thus toward greater centralization and increased power in the hands of whicheverShow MoreRelatedGilgamesh vs Bible1424 Words   |  6 PagesMany of the same old past stories can be found in different cultures. Each story differs in some views but the general themes and the main idea these stories want to transmit to their people who believe in their own God can have striking similarities. That why the Epic of Gilgamesh compares to the Bible in many different ways and the epic also has an extrao rdinarily different perspective than the Bible does. Yet the Bible and Gilgamesh, story or truth, myth or religion, these are questions that areRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Biblical Creation Myths with Other Creation Myths from Greece and the Ancient Near Eas2116 Words   |  9 PagesCompare and contrast the Biblical creation myths with other creation myths from Greece and the Ancient Near East. This essay will compare and contrast the Biblical creation myths with other creation myths from Greece and the Ancient Near East. It will first discuss the initial creation of the universe followed by the creation of mankind and finally the recreation of man whilst drawing parallels to Sumerian and Babylonian texts, The Old Testament and Hesiods Theogony. In paying particularRead MoreCulture And Religion : What Is Religion?1758 Words   |  8 Pagescentral to their culture and provide the moral codes by which they live.† (Reference 1) Perspectives such as these give great insight as to the inner workings of how the mind comprehends information. It observes, correlates, analyzes, theorizes, compares, contrasts, and labels to form concepts of realism. While most things are interpreted from a one point perspective, it leaves a wide room for alternate views and theories to interpret and assume who, what, when, where, why, and how as the primary indicators