The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest pieces of writing which was discovered by people, so far. It was written in around 1000B.C.E in the Near East region in ancient Mesopotamia. Similarly, Genesis is one of the best books known worldwide which was written in around 400 B.C.E. In addition, it came from the region of Mesopotamia.
The Epic of Gilgamesh presents the polytheistic world where gods and goddesses play a big role. Even if they hold great power and are able to influence people’s actions, sometimes they are weak and imperfect. Also, mortal people and immortal gods have many things in common. They both experience positive and negative feelings such as love, happiness, and anger. For example, when Gilgamesh refuses to marry goodness Ishtar “in a fury she went up to the heavens, going to Anu, her father, and crying, going to Antum, her mother, and weeping” (A 77). Correspondingly, Genesis also describes the world where God plays a big role. However, he is the only monotheistic God and other gods don’t exist. In addition, he is the God who holds all the power; thus, everything depends on his will. For example, he says “Let there be light. And there was light” (A 29). Moreover, he doesn’t have many things in common with mortal people whom he created.
Both readings mention the flood; however, the reason of it is different. In the Epic of Gilgamesh people multiply very fast and earth become too noisy. Gods can’t stand that situation and send flood to destroy human beings. Gods choose a mortal human being, Utnapishtim, to create a ship and collect the pairs of all animals existing in the world. He says “I had all my kith and kin go up into the boat, all the beasts, and animals of the field” (A 92). In addition, gods let him to protect his family and craftsmen “and the craftsmen I had go up” who have a great amount of knowledge which can be reused later on (A 92). On the other hand, Genesis talks about flood from different perspective. It is a punishment for people who want to be equal to God. “And the Lord saw that the evil of the human creature was great on the earth and that every scheme of his heart’s devising was only perpetually evil. And Lord regretted having made the human on earth” (A 34). As a result, he lets Noah to build an arc and collect the pairs of all animals existing in the world. God says to Noah “and you shall enter the ark, you and your sons and your wife and the wives of your sons, with you. And from all that lives, from all flesh, two of each thing you shall bring to the ark to keep alive with you, male and female they shall be” (A 34). Also, Noah family is one who survives and populates the earth.
