The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities with stories that come after its creation which leads us to believe it inspired those stories. One example of a story similar is the story of the great flood located in the Bible.
The Epic of Gilgamesh tells a story of “The Flood”. A man name Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh about a city called Shuruppak. This city was too loud for the Gods and they could get no sleep so they agreed to exterminate mankind by causing the whole world to flood. Utnapishtim however, is visited by a god, named Ea, in a dream and is told to build a boat with certain measurements so that he may survive. Utnapishtim built the boat and covers it in pitch. Then he fills the boat with animals wild …show more content…
God at this point in the bible is displeased in his people so to punish them he is going to flood the earth, but he wanted Noah to live because he was favorable to God. God tells Noah to build an ark with certain measurements and to cover it in pitch. When the ark was created Noah filled it with every animal that lived on land so they could prosper after. When the flood comes it covers the whole earth killing everyone not on the Ark. Noah released birds to tell if the water has retreated and when one of his birds finds olive leaf he makes an altar and makes a sacrifice.
Comparing both stories each one had gods or a God displeased with their subjects and decided it was best to kill them off by flooding the earth. But they told one man to build a great boat and gave measurements to build said boat. Each man built the boat and covered it in pitch and loaded animals wild and domesticated so they could produce after. Utnapishtim and Noah also release birds to search for land and made sacrifices after land was found.
This details show that The Epic of Gilgamesh more than likely influence the story of Noah’s Ark. This however are not all the similarities just some big one. Also The Epic of Gilgamesh influenced more than just the story of Noah’s Ark but many other books and