Sumerian “Flood” Myth: The Epic of Gilgamesh

1. Sumerian “Flood” Myth: The Epic of Gilgamesh • Origin of the story dates back more than 3000 years ago • Written accounts of the story found on stone tablets dating 2000 years ago and as early as 650 B.C.E. • The book of Genesis is dated between 1500 B.C.E. and 500 B.C.E. • Brief synopsis of the story: The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of King Gilgamesh of Uruk who oppresses his people. As punishment, the gods send him a companion, Enkidu, who is his mirror image and becomes his good friend. Together, Gilgamesh and Enkidu defy the gods by killing the giant Humbaba, cutting down the sacred cedar forest which he guards, and killing the Bull of Heaven. Enkidu has ominous dreams of the destiny of tyrants who become slaves in the House of Death. Enkidu finally dies of an illness sent by the gods.

2. Location of Uruk

3. Horrified by Enkidu's death and the prospect of his own demise, Gilgamesh undertakes a quest for immortality which brings him to the abode of Utnapishtim, a virtuous man who obeys the gods and was saved by them from the Great Flood. Utnapishtim puts Gilgamesh to various tests which he fails and eventually sends him away, assuring him that he cannot escape death. A humbled Gilgamesh returns to Uruk and orders his story to be inscribed in stone.

4. Cuneiform Writing . By 3200 B.C., the Sumerians had invented the earliest known form of writing called cuneiform, a system of writing about as old as Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Sumerians employed a sharp-pointed instrument- called a stylus - to inscribe wedge-shaped characters on soft clay tablets, which were then hardened by baking. Reading and writing in cuneiform were difficult because the Sumerian alphabet consisted of about 550 characters. Sumerian scribes had to go through years of strict schooling to acquire their skills. Nevertheless, cuneiform was widely used in the Middle East for thousands of years. System of Numbers. The Sumerians developed a number system based on the unit 60. They divided the hour into 60 minutes and the circle into 360 degrees, as we still do today. They also developed basic algebra and geometry.

5. In the eleventh tablet of the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim is the wise king of the Sumerian city state of Shuruppak who, along with his unnamed wife, survived a great floodsent by Enlil to drown every living thing on Earth. Utnapishtim was secretly warned by the water god Ea of Enlil's plan and constructed a great boat or ark to save himself, his family and representatives of each species of animal. When the flood waters subsided, the boat was grounded on the mountain of Nisir. When Utnapishtim's ark had been becalmed for seven days, he released a dove, who found no resting place and returned. A swallow was then released who found no perch and also returned, but the raven which was released third did not return. Utnapishtim then made a sacrifice and poured out a libation to Ea on the top of mount Nisir. Utnapishtim and his wife were granted immortality after the flood. Afterwards, he is taken by the gods to live forever at "the mouth of the rivers" and given the epithet "Faraway".

6. Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, stood 18 feet tall and was two-thirds God and one-third human, and 100% trouble. The gods created the King a massive playmate, Enkidu; part-man, part-beast. The two giants bonded in combat and then went off on noble adventures leaving the people of Uruk to get on with their lives.

7. Similarities between Genesis and Gilgamesh • Flood occurs in the Mesopotamian plain. • Main character is warned to build a boat to escape the flood • Main character is told to save himself, his family, and a sampling of animals • The boats were sealed with tar • The boats came to rest on a mountain • Birds were released to determine if the waters receded • Main character sacrificed an offering • Earliest known literary work. • Contains account of the Great Flood and story of a virtuous man named Utnapishtim--likely sources for the later biblical story of Noah.