The Flood: Genesis vs. ANE
...se Noah to survive the flood. Noah was also given an age, unlike Utnapishtim. “Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of the waters cam on the earth” (Gen 7:6). This was probably mentioned to imply Noah was a man of wisdom. In both accounts, the hero (Noah and Utnapishtim) is urged to build an ark/ship and is giving specific instructions in doing so. In Genesis 6:15-16, the Lord tells Noah that “the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its sides; make it with lower, second, and third decks”. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods said, “the ship that you shall build, her dimensions shall be to measure. Equal shall be her width and her length. Like the Apsu you shall ceil her” (#12: Epic of Gilgamesh, 66). I think each account added the specifics of measurement for the ark and ship so it sounded like it could occupy everything intended. I also think it was mentioned to make the story more believable. However, whom they put in their ship differed. The Lord commanded Noah to bring two pairs of all animals (seven pairs of all clean animals) onto the ship along with his immediate family. The clean animals are what Noah sacrifices in Genesis 8:20. If only one pair of each clean animal were taken, every sacrifice would eliminate a species. Utnapishtim took his family and animals along with relatives, gold, silver, craftsmen, and boatmen. Noah didn’t bring anything else onto the ark with him because the Lord gave him specific instructions. Collectively, the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Genesis flood started after the seventh day. This parallels with Genesis 1 in which God made all of creation in seven days. On the seventh day, in Genesis 7:16, “the Lord shut him in”. This tells me the Lord blessed the Ark In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim “boarded the ship and battened up the entrance”, his gods did not do it for him (#12:Epic of Gilgamesh, 68). The amount of time the flood persisted differed in both accounts. In Genesis 7:4, the Lord God said, “In seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights.” In the Epic of Gilgamesh the flood only lasted “six days and six nights” (#12:Epic of Gilgamesh, 69). In both accounts the flood occurred over the entire earth and is terribly destructive. Furthermore, the Genesis flood and the Epic of Gilgamesh have references that the water covered the mountains. In Genesis 7:20, “the waters swelled above the mountains”. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, “the south storm submerged the mountains” (#12:Epic of Gilgamesh, 68). However, the God in Genesis had complete control and is not afraid of the flood. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods are fearful of the flood: “The gods were frightened by the deluge, and, shrinking back, they ascended to the heaven of Anu. The gods cowered like dogs crouched against the outer wall” (#12:Epic of Gilgamesh, 68). Genesis and the Epic of Gilgamesh both have citation that the ship comes to rest upon a mountain. In Genesis, “the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat” (Gen 8:4). In the Epic of Gilgamesh “the ship came to a halt” on Mount Nisir (#12:Epic of Gilgamesh, 69). Both the ark and ship rested when the flood subsided as did God on the seventh day after creation. Together each version released birds to determine whether or not the floodwat...