An Analysis of the LIfe Lessons Presented in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis

Categories: Genesis Life Lessons Religion

Analysis, Pages 5 (1076 words)

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The works of The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis have great stories that allow for extensive interpretation. The amount of life lessons they have to offer is truly astounding. It is a grand way to learn right from wrong, proper moral ethics, as well as many other life lessons. The main topic being discussed today are the great floods of both and how they differ from one another in crucial ways. The Great Flood stated in the passages of Genesis was meant to create a new beginning.

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God himself started this flood after he saw the terrible things humans could do. During the first arrival of humans, their sins and irresponsible actions baffled God. Never did he imagine the way in which they would act out and commit wrong-doings.

His solution to solve this problem was simple, to flood the entire Earth of its sins. The flood would destroy everything in its path, leaving everything that once stood soggy and ruined.

By doing this, God thought that he could reverse the creation of humans and to start over again. A new slate to create a better beginning. God, however, asked one man to go on a mission for him and create an ark. Noah is widely known as the creator of the ark that stood high and mighty during the Great Flood. God ordered Noah to create an ark and to harvest every kind of animal and his immediate family. Once the flood stopped, these animals and humans would be used to repopulate the whole world.

God trusted that Noah's sense of judgement as to whom he brought onto the ark would be the right decision. Noah created the ark, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. A cubit is an ancient measuring system that is based on the length of the middle finger tip all the way to the bottom the elbow. Once done, he gathered the necessary animals and humans to board the massive ark. The flood lasted for forty days and nights It took another six months, however, before the water levels started to return to normal. On the 601st birthday of Noah, he came out of the ark and looked at the ground. It was not exactly wet, but not the driest either. He sent out a dove, in which it returned to him a week later. He tried again, and the second dove never returned, which signaled to Noah that the Flood was over and life could prosper on the land again. The flood stated in The Epic of Gilgamesh lasted for six days and for six nights.

The flood was called upon by multiple Gods, in which they wanted to destroy one particular city and all of mankind. Like Genesis, mankind needed to be washed away in hopes of a new start. An ark made an appearance, as it was created by Utnapishtim. He was the uncalled hero to save mankind. The ark was meant to carry multiples of every animal as well as the immediate friends and family of his. The initial message of the flood came to Utnapishtim, also known as Gilgamesh, through a dream. The flood did its intended job, at the cost of moral compromise by those who had ordered it. The flood in itself was a mistake, and the Gods were deeply and morally hurt that they could ever do such a thing. Noted to have been started due to overpopulation, it is not set in stone as to why the flood occurred in the first place. Both The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis have grand floods that wipe out humanity. The differences, however, are striking.

It seems that, while being near parallels to one another, these floods had vastly different motives behind them as well as lessons that were to be shown from the stories told by each side. In Genesis, God wanted to wipe out humanity due to their sins and wrong-doings. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, overpopulation was said to be the start of the flood. The flood in Genesis lasted forty days and forty nights, with raging waters hitting every surface of the earth. The floods in Gilgamesh, however, lasted only six days and six nights. While the hero was sought out in a dream, by multiple God's in Gilgamesh, the perception in Genesis is that God himself looked to Noah directly for his help and guided him into creating the ark. Even the moral reasons as to the floods were different in their own. God in the readings of Genesis started that he needed to restore the balance of good in the world, that evil was too prevalent.

After the flood, God was seen as having no regrets to creating the flood, backing up his decisions to wipe out mankind. The flood in Gilgamesh was stated to be a simple mistake. Once over, the Gods were in moral shambles. They were distraught that they could ever do such a thing. They regretted the choices in which they chose to create a flood and were left with questioning themselves and their own character. The stories of the flood in Genesis are shown today as real life events using real history and locations. Among those who study these stories, it is perceived as being the perfect reality in which such an event should occur and happen.

That in such a time and place, moral structure stands high for what is right, and does not back down. The Epic of Gilgamesh, use some truth to the accounts, however barely has evidence to support the claims. Those who study this story tend to perceive it as the way the world really is, with despair from our choices and regret from our actions. Clearly these stories have some similarities, but it is the differences that allow us to study these works of art and learn from them. Whether it be about the ideas that were around during the early days of mankind, or perhaps the perceptions of right and wrong, these stories can influence those who read them quite heavily. It seems that the works of Genesis and The Epic of Gilgamesh have stood the test of time and shown two very different sides to one very similar problem. Still today, the thoughts and ideas that are carried between the works show up in everyday life.