THE STOR Y OF THE
FLOOD
M ESH (MESOPO TA MIA)
FROM THE EPIC OF GILGA
LEARNING TARGETS
• UNDERSTANDING OF THE STORY OF THE FLOOD
BACKGROUND
• THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH HAS BEEN OF INTEREST TO CHRISTIANS EVER SINCE ITS
DISCOVERY IN THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY IN THE RUINS OF THE GREAT
LIBRARY AT NINEVEH, WITH ITS ACCOUNT OF A UNIVERSAL FLOOD WITH
SIGNIFICANT PARALLELS TO THE FLOOD OF NOAH'S DAY.
• THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FLOOD STORIES IDENTIFIED FROM ANCIENT
SOURCES SCATTERED AROUND THE WORLD. THE STORIES THAT WERE
DISCOVERED ON CUNEIFORM TABLETS, WHICH COMPRISE SOME OF THE
EARLIEST SURVIVING WRITING, HAVE OBVIOUS SIMILARITIES.
• THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH IS CONTAINED ON TWELVE LARGE TABLETS, AND SINCE
THE ORIGINAL DISCOVERY, IT HAS BEEN FOUND ON OTHERS, AS WELL AS HAVING
BEEN TRANSLATED INTO OTHER EARLY LANGUAGES.
INTRODUCTION
• THE STORY STARTS BY INTRODUCING THE DEEDS OF THE HERO GILGAMESH. HE
WAS ONE WHO HAD GREAT KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM, AND PRESERVED
INFORMATION OF THE DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD.
• GILGAMESH WROTE ON TABLETS OF STONE ALL THAT HE HAD DONE, INCLUDING
BUILDING THE CITY WALLS OF URUK AND ITS TEMPLE FOR EANNA.
• HE WAS AN OPPRESSIVE RULER, HOWEVER, WHICH CAUSED HIS SUBJECTS TO
CRY OUT TO THE "GODS" TO CREATE A NEMESIS TO CAUSE GILGAMESH STRIFE.
• AFTER ONE FIGHT, THIS NEMESIS—ENKIDU—BECAME BEST FRIENDS WITH
GILGAMESH.
• THE TWO SET OFF TO WIN FAME BY GOING ON MANY DANGEROUS ADVENTURES
IN WHICH ENKIDU IS EVENTUALLY KILLED.
• GILGAMESH THEN DETERMINES TO FIND IMMORTALITY SINCE HE NOW FEARS
DEATH.
• IT IS UPON THIS SEARCH THAT HE MEETS UTNAPISHTIM, THE CHARACTER MOST
LIKE THE BIBLICAL NOAH.
THE STORY
•GILGAMESH OBSERVED THE APPEARANCE OF UTNAPISHTIM & ASKED
HOW HE ENTERED THE COMPANY OF THE GODS AND POSSESSED
EVERLASTING LIFE.
•UTNAPISHTIM STARTED TELLING HIM A MYSTERY & THE SECRET OF THE
GODS.
•PEOPLE MADE “NOISES” IN THE CITY OF SHURRUPAK THAT DISPLEASED
THE GODS.
•ENLIL GATHERED THE GODS AND MOVED THEM TO LET LOOSE THE
DELUGE ON THESE PEOPLE.
•EA APPEARED IN UTNAPISHTIM’S DREAM TO WARN HIM OF THE DILUGE.
•UTNAPISHTIM BUILT THE BOAT AND FOLLOWED ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS
GIVEN BY EA BEFORE THE GREAT FLOOD CAME.
•EA TOLD UTNAPISHTIM TO ANSWER THE INQUISITIVE PEOPLE, “I HAVE
LEARNT THAT ENLIL IS WRATHFUL AGAINST ME, I DARE NO LONGER WALK
IN HIS LAND NOR LIVE IN HIS CITY. I WILL DWELL WITH EA AND HE WILL
RAIN DOWN ABUNDANCE…”
•HE BUILT THE BARQUE WITH A ONE ACRE GROUND SPACE WITH SEVEN
DECKS IN ALL. HE WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE BUILDING THE BOAT IN 7 DAYS.
•EVERYDAY, HE SLAUGHTERED BULLOCKS AND SHEEP FOR THE PEOPLE.
•THE BOAT WAS LOADED WITH ALL HIS GOLD, LIVING THINGS, FAMILY, KIN,
WILD AND TAME BEASTS AND ALL THE CRAFTSMEN.
•THE TIME WAS FULFILLED. THE RIDER OF THE STORM SENT DOWN
THE DESTROYING RAIN. THE WEATHER WAS SO TERRIBLE. EVEN THE
GODS WERE TERRIFIED AT THE FLOOD. THEY FLED TO THE HIGHEST
HEAVEN.
•FOR SIX DAYS AND SIX NIGHTS THE WINDS BLEW, TORRENT AND
TEMPEST AND FLOOD OVERWHELMED THE WORLD.
•THE GODS GATHERED AND BLAMED ENLIL FOR WHAT HAPPENED.
•AFTER SEVEN DAYS, THE RAINS STOPPED. SILENCE TOOK OVER THE
WORLD. ALL MANKIND WAS TURNED TO CLAY. UTNAPISHTIM SAT
DOWN, WEPT AND CRIED.
•DOVE & SWALLOW WERE SENT AND CAME BACK FOR NOT HAVING A
RESTING PLACE. WHEN THE RAVEN WAS SENT, SHE SAW THAT THE
WATERS HAD RETREATED, SHE ATE, SHE FLEW AROUND, SHE CAWED
AND SHE DID NOT COME BACK.
•HE MADE A SACRIFICE. HE HEAPED UP WOOD, CANE, CEDAR, AND
MYRTLE. WHEN THE GODS SMELLED THE SWEET SAVOR, THEY
GATHERED LIKE FLIES OVER THE SACRIFICE EXCEPT FOR ENLIL.
•WHEN ENLIL HAD COME AND SAW THE BOAT, HE WAS WRATHFUL
AND SWELLED WITH ANGER OF THE GODS AND SAID NOT ONE HAS
TO SURVIVE.
•NINURTA OPENED HIS MOUTH AND SAID THAT IT WAS EA WHO
KNEW ALL THINGS. EA QUESTIONED ENLIL WITH WHAT HE DID.
•“IT WAS NOT I THAT REVEALED THE SECRET OF THE GODS: THE
WISE MAN LEARNED IT IN A DREAM. NOW TAKE YOUR
COUNSEL WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH HIM.”
•ENLIL WENT UP INTO THE BOAT, BLESSED UTNAPISHTIM AND
HIS WIFE WITH EVERLASTING LIFE AND ABODE IN THE
DISTANCE AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVERS.
•IT WAS HERE THAT GILGAMESH MET UTNAPISHTIM.
