S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

There are many similarities between the Gilgamesh flood account and the biblical flood account (Genesis 6-8), beginning most importantly with God choosing a righteous man to build an ark because of...

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July 01 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What similarities are there between the Gilgamesh flood account and the biblical flood account?

The Epic of Gilgamesh (specifically Tablet XI) and the biblical flood account (Genesis 6–9) share striking similarities, including a divine decision to destroy humanity with a flood, a chosen righteous hero warned to build a massive boat, the preservation of family and animals, the ark resting on a mountain, and sacrifices made to God/gods afterwards. Both accounts feature the release of birds (raven/doves) to test for dry land. 

Some similarities between the two accounts include:

Divine Command: A divine figure informs a specific person (Noah/Utnapishtim) of the impending destruction.

Boat Construction: A massive, multi-level vessel is built to preserve life.

Preservation of Life: Animals and family members are brought onto the boat for protection.

Flood Extent: A great flood destroys most of humanity.

Post-Flood Event: The boat rests on a mountain (Ararat in Genesis, Nisir in Gilgamesh), birds are released to find land, and a sacrifice is offered after exiting the boat.

Divine Decision: In both stories, the deity (or a council of gods) decides to destroy humanity with a catastrophic flood.

A Chosen Hero: A single individual—Utnapishtim in Gilgamesh and Noah in Genesis—is divinely warned of the coming disaster and instructed to survive.

The Vessel: Both heroes are commanded to build a massive, multi-decked boat (an "ark").

Construction: Both vessels are sealed with pitch, bitumen (tar), or other waterproofing materials to make them watertight.

Cargo: Both heroes are told to bring their families and a sampling of "every kind" of animal on board to preserve life.

Divine Blessing: The survivors are blessed to repopulate the earth, and a promise is made not to send another global flood.

Several Bible writers verify that the Flood really occurred. (Isa 54:9; 2Pe 3:5, 6; Heb 11:7) The strongest evidence, however, is the testimony of Jesus Christ himself. He pointedly said: "In the days of Noah,... the flood arrived and destroyed them all."​—Lu 17:26, 27.

The Bible describes a vessel about 437 feet long, with a length-to-height ratio of 10 to 1 and a length-to-width ratio of 6 to 1. (Genesis 6:15) Now, Noah was no shipbuilder. And remember, this was more than 4,000 years ago! Yet the ark was built with proportions ideal for its function as a floating container. 

These factors stand in stark contrast with the well-known story found in the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. The epic describes a massive, ungainly cube, some 200 feet [60 m] on a side, built in only seven days. Unlike that Babylonian legend, the Bible's deluge account engenders confidence in its accuracy.

Outside the Genesis account, the Scriptures refer to Noah or the global deluge ten times. These references indicate that the inspired writers viewed the Flood as genuine history.

Conspicuous Differences:

Important differences also emerge regarding the effect of the Flood. The Gilgamesh Epic relates that the gods were filled with dismay and sought refuge in the highest heavens of the God Anu.

P. J. Wiseman wrote in New Discoveries in Babylonia About Genesis: "The Bible account is simple in its ideas, and irreproachable in its teaching about God, whereas the Babylonian tablets are complex and polytheistic. In Genesis, we find the story at its pure source, while in the Babylonian it is seen at its contaminated development."

The writer of Genesis did not need to draw upon any Babylonian legend. Because of the overlap in life spans, the truth about the Flood could easily have been handed down by Noah's son Shem (an eyewitness) through just three human links to Moses, the writer of Genesis.

All Bible writers, including Moses, were "inspired by God," which assures me of the truthfulness of their accounts.​—2 Tim. 3:16.

The Bible's account of the Flood is authentic. It does not rest on the shifting and exaggerated stories of primitive people.

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