In the Christian community, we are taught that the stories of the Bible are unique to Christianity and unquestionably true. So you can imagine how even the possibility that the Bible borrowed stories from elsewhere would have shocked the community – and yet, this is exactly what happened, after the Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh was discovered.
The epic of Gilgamesh covers a variety of adventures, but I would like to draw your attention to one in particular – the story told by Utnapishtim to Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh had come to Utnapishtim because the gods had made him immortal and Gilgamesh desired immortality as well.
The tale told by Utnapishtim revolves around how he survived an otherwise catastrophic annihilation of humanity. The god Enlil had grown frustrated by humanity’s constant noise keeping him awake, and decided to destroy most of them. He made the other gods swear not to warn the humans of their impending doom. However, Ea, the god of wisdom, found a way to warn Utnapishtim. He did so by talking loudly to a reed wall, knowing Utnapishtim was within hearing distance. He told Utnapishtim of a coming flood, and that an enormous boat had to be constructed so that it could hold animals of every species and remain sealed throughout the flood.
So when the floods came, Utnapishtim was ready. He made sure all animal species were present on his boat and sealed it for six days and seven nights, waiting out the storm that swept away everything outside the boat. At the end of the flood, Utnapishtim sent out three birds – a dove, a raven and a sparrow – to check whether the waters had receded.
To my Christian readers – does this sound familiar?
For those who are not aware of the Biblical story I am referring to, it is that of Noah, who was warned by God of a great impending flood that would purge the earth of evil humans. Noah built his famous ark, and carried two animals of every species to safety.
It is very clear that both of these stories are incredibly similar. The key question now is, which one came first?
The answer: Gilgamesh. This epic was written in around 1100 BCE, while the first Biblical writings were only written in 950 BCE.
The Bible borrowed the story of Utnapishtim.
However, it is important to note that such cultural intertwining was not uncommon, with storytelling being a very popular pastime for travellers. Moreover, the epic of Gilgamesh itself was inspired by the Sumerian Flood Story, otherwise known as the Eridu Genesis. Interestingly, the Sumerian story might have actually stemmed from a very real flood of enormous proportions, evidence of which was found by archaeologists.
When it comes to Utnapishtim and Noah, there are clear differences between both stories, the most marked being the reason behind the survival of the protagonists: Noah survived because God chose him; Utnapishtim survived because of divine intervention, defying the original plan. Noah’s is also a cautionary tale on morality, while Utnapishtim’s story was meant to remind Gilgamesh of his place in the cosmic order. Both stories teach humility, and are significant in their own ways.
Works Cited
Roos, Dave. “Did the Bible 'Borrow' the Noah's Ark Story From the Epic of Gilgamesh?” How Stuff Works. October 15th, 2020. Web <https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/gilgamesh.htm> as seen on February 26th, 2022.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Utnapishtim". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 May. 2011, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Utnapishtim. Accessed 26 February 2022.
"The Epic of Gilgamesh" History on the Net
© 2000-2022, Salem Media.
February 26, 2022 https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-epic-of-gilgamesh
Keay, John. India, A History: From The Earliest Civilisation To The Boom Of The Twenty-First Century. Great Britain: HarperCollins Publishers. 2000. Print.
Mark, Joshua J. “Eridu Genesis” World History Encyclopaedia. May 7th, 2020. Web. < https://www.worldhistory.org/Eridu_Genesis/#:~:text=The%20Sumerian%20Flood%20Story%20(also,2150%2D1400%20BCE). > as seen on May 30th, 2022.
Actually similar story exists regarding Hindu God Vishnu’s “Matasya “Avtar
Intrestingly there are similar stories in all abrahmic religions and many other. There is also one in Hinduism which talks about the matsya avtar of Vishu guiding Manu (the protagonist replacement for Noah) to gather all species on a boat and tie it to Matsya as a strong flood “pralay” is about to come and will and all the sinners on earth only the holy species will survive.
There is a similar story in manu smriti in which the protagonist is maharishi manu and God says him to save humanity.
That is far older than all of these stories cited check it once and add it in this article too.