Dexter Callender talks about the flood stories and the Epic of Gilgamesh. The story goes that Noah is told to build a boat and to put all animals and his family on the boat. The flood then destroys everything left on Earth besides those on the boat. The Epic of Gilgamesh has a similar story, but it is a flood hero who does these tasks. This flood hero receives eternal life from the gods after giving them a sacrifice. Noah does not receive eternal life in his story. Another difference is the birds in each story. The flood hero from the Epic of Gilgamesh sends out a bird three times, and Noah also sends out a dove three times. However, in the Mesopotamian story, there are three different birds sent out. All of this information together makes it seem as though these are the same story, but they are told separately with minor differences.
Categories