Pryke says that while the Hebrew version of the flood story hinges on morality — the destruction of the wicked and the saving of the righteous — the authors of Genesis display a "wary engagement with wisdom" elsewhere. Then, Noah and Utnapishtim each send out birds at regular intervals to see if there was any dry land. “The dove went off, but came back to me…I sent forth a swallow and released it. Utnapishtim vs. Noah: War of the Ships (Part 2) By Stephen Mitchell . God causes the flood, people we fearful 8. The story of Utnapishtim is adapted from the story about Atrahasis, which in turn is probably adapted from the earlier Babylonian flood myths.The same goes for the story in the bible. Whenbecoming aware of his own mortality and fear of death, Gilgamesh decided toventure out to find the only man that had been granted immortality from theGods for surviving the Great Flood, Utnapishtim. Cuneiform tablet with the Atra-Hasis epic in the British Museum His story parallels that of the Biblical figure of Noah. So to answer your question: Yes, it's "legendary plagiarism". Utnapishtim was chosen to survive the great flood out of pure luck by the god Ea. In the story of Gilgamesh, a man by the name of Utnaptishtim experience the fate Noah had with the flood. One of the most common attacks on the flood narrative is that it's simply a copy of some other material, including the Epic of Gilgamesh, so let's look at the differences. Noah was known under a different name in India, among ancient Egyptians and Native Americans, just to mention a few cultures. Utnapishtim vs. Noah. He convinced the other gods to completely exterminate every person on Earth as well as land animals and birds with a great flood. Noah was the only man on earth who found grace in the eyes of God, and was really good. • A great rain covered the land and mountains with water, although some water emerged from beneath the earth in the biblical account (Genesis 7:11). Just like Noah, Utnapishtim is the survivor of the Deluge. Noah was the only man on earth who found grace in the eyes of God, and was really good. The swallow went off, but came back to me….I sent forth a raven and released it. Compare and Contrast Noah and Utnapishtim The story of Noah's ark and the story of Utnapishtim are two different, yet similar accounts of a flood that exterminated the human race. The Chaldean Flood Tablets from the city of Ur in what is now Southern Iraq contain a story thatdescribes how the Bablylonian god Enlil had been bothered by the incessant noise generated by humans. Noah is preserved because he is the most morally clean and obedient. Theism – one God 2. Before Noah: Myths of the Flood Are Far Older Than the Bible. One of the gods, Ea, went against the decision of the rest of the gods, and told a human, Ut-Napishtim, to build an ark to save a few humans, and some animals. 7/13/2001 0 Comments The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible have been compared for their historical value. Ancient Mythology Utnapishtim, Noah, and Flood study guide by phoenixbarker includes 9 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. Noah and family were human 7. Even though these stories are very similar, there are differences that are present. Because of this, God came to warn him about the flood and told him to build the ark. It would obviously tumble, killing or maiming its passengers. In the Epic of Noah, the hero, Noah is sent by God to warn the people and build an ark where he will save a small number of righteous people. What do you make of the remarkable similarities in the two accounts?' In particular, their varying recounts of “the flood” are of great interest to historians, clergy, and scholars. Even with these major changes not considered, there are many dissimilarities that would not be expected from a story copied from another story. Here is what the text says, using the New American Standard, 1995, translation: Chapter 6 It would, therefore, make sense that Noah would be chosen for his righteousness although Utnapishtim was chosen for no apparent reason. • Both arks had a single door and at least one window. Noah's Ark was built over a long, realistic period of time, Utnapishtim's Ark was built in a matter of days. The character appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Noah’s was rectangular; Utnapishtim’s was square. We learn this story from the Old Testament, the book of Genesis, chapters 6 and 7. Both are from different religious points of view (Noah's ark is from the Bible and Utnapishtim from the Epic of Gilgamesh) but share similarities, as well as differences. Flood because of mankind’s wickedness 9. Utnapishtim sends out three different birds (dove, swallow, raven), whereas Noah sends out two different birds (raven, dove). Utnapishtim is regarded as the hero in the epic of Gilgamesh where he acts as the mediator between gods and the people of Uruk. Yahwish was tired of seeing this evilness all around, and it made his heart sad. Author – Moses 3. Begins with an historical timeline of generations leading up to Noah 6. Utnapishtim was chosen out of the cleverness of Ea, the god of wisdom and crafts. Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, points out that despite the general similarities between the story of Noah and the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh there is a major theological difference between the stories. In the story of Noah and the Ark, God or Yahwist (God of Israel) is saw that evil was everywhere amongst the earth. [6] Noah’s behavior here is actually strange, since the first bird flies back and forth until it eventually finds dry land, so what did he need the dove for? The Gilgamesh flood myth is a flood myth in the Epic of Gilgamesh.Many scholars believe that the flood myth was added to Tablet XI in the "standard version" of the Gilgamesh Epic by an editor who used the flood story from the Epic of Atrahasis. Get an answer for 'Compare and contrast Utnapishtim's description of the great flood with Noah's account. In it, there is an account of the great sage Utnapishtim, who is warned of an imminent flood to be unleashed by wrathful gods. Construction of an Ark in both Epics In this week’s Parasha, Noah is chosen by God to perpetuate the human race after his wicked contemporaries perish in the flood. Third, Utnapishtim and Noah save their relatives and samples of species of land animals. After the rain stops, both Noah and Utnapishtim arks land on a mountain, Mount Ararat for Noah and Mount Nisir for Utnapishtim; both mountains are located in the Middle East, only a few hundred miles apart (Robinson). God favored Noah because he was a righteous man therefore, he was chosen to build the ark that was three hundred cubits long, fifty cubit wide, and thirty cubits high, about three stories. In Tablet XI of the epic poem, Utnapishtim, the Gilgamesh Noah, explains that because of some unexplained sin of man, the pantheon of gods decide to send a Deluge to kill all of mankind. Quizlet flashcards, … The Differences The Flood of Noah and The Flood of Utnapishtim By Daniel Steele Genesis 1. Noah sent two and Utnapishtim sent three birds. How would something like this fare during a catastrophic, worldwide Flood? Utnapishtim was chosen to survive the great flood because he was a true worshipper of the god Ea, who came to warn Utnapishtim about the flood. Utnapishtim tries toconvey to Gilgamesh that these were unusual circumstances that granted he andhis wife immortality and that they could not be repeated. Text written as historical 4. Noah’s Ark vs. Gilgamesh Ark. The life of Utnapishtim and the Babylonian Flood Story are described in the Epic of Gilgamesh. [7]The raven is thus manifestly “out of place” in the text. In both stories the instruction is to bring “two of every sort [of living thing of flesh] into the ark.” And finally, after the flood subsides there is a sacrifice where the Babylonian gods and the Biblical God feel sorry about and/or regret the flood. Now it is time to consider the ship of Noah, commonly known as Noah’s Ark. He is tasked by the god Enki to create a giant ship to be called Preserver of Life in preparation of a giant flood that would wipe out all life. Utnapishtim or Utanapishtim is a character in ancient Mesopotamia mythology. 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