Flood Stories

Sarah Lewis

History 1111- Pre-Modern World History

September 7, 2005

The Comparison and Contrast of Two Flood Myths

Throughout History, many natural disasters have occurred. Floods are just one

type of disaster that has had catastrophic effects on human kind. Two of the more

interesting floods in our history have been the Myth from the Hebrew Tanak and the

Myth of Utnaphishtim from the Epic of Gilgamesh as found in Shuruppak in lower

Mesoptamia. These events have both striking similarities and differences.

There are many similarities between these two flood myths. Some of the

similarities include a Great God that controls all of human kind. Both of the Gods decide

to exterminate mankind through the act of a disastrous flood. The Gods inform only one

man in each story about the upcoming flood and instructs him to build a boat. The boats,

in each story, height, width, and length are completely described. After both of the God’s

had told each of the men to build the boat, the men obeyed their commands and were kept

safe during the flood. Also, it was not just the two men who were loaded onto the boat

before the flood, but also both of the men’s family and different animals. The floods, in

both myths, completely covered the Earth, leaving no dry land anywhere. After the storm

had ended, both of the men let different types of birds free, such as a raven and a dove, to

see if there was any dry land. The birds’ first attempts to find dry land failed; although

eventually, the birds did find dry land. After the floods had ended, the God’s blessed the

men for their obedience before the storm. The men built altar’s and sacrifices for the

Gods, and they were pleased.

Although in both myths many aspects are the same, it is their differences that set

them apart. In the Hebrew myth there is only one ruling God, while in the Babylonian

myth there are many ruling Gods. The God in the Hebrew myth decided to destroy

mankind because they were evil, but in the Babylonian myth, the Gods decided to destroy

mankind because they were becoming too loud and beginning to learn more. During the

Hebrew myth, God told Noah to build an Ark with whatever means necessary, but in the

Babylonian myth, the God Ea told the man to tear down his house and use the remains to

build a boat. God specified to Noah exactly what and how much to bring on the Ark in

the Hebrew myth, but the God Ea did not specify to the man who and what to bring in the

Babylonian