Epic of Gilgamesh

Background

Gilgamesh was a king who ruled the city of Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia (the region of present-day Iraq). His name appears in the Sumerian King List, an ancient list recording the names and reigns of Sumerian kings. If he was a historical figure, he likely lived around 2700 BC. Uruk is generally identified with the "Erech" of Genesis (Genesis 10:10).

An epic is a long narrative poem that recounts the deeds of a hero. In this work, Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu defeat Humbaba, the monster of the Cedar Forest. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh, terrified of death, sets out in search of eternal life. He meets Utnapishtim, who survived a great flood and was granted eternal life by the gods, but Gilgamesh ultimately fails to obtain immortality and returns to Uruk.

Development

• Around 2000 BC: Several Sumerian poems featuring Gilgamesh as their protagonist appear to have circulated independently.
• Around the 18th century BC: An Old Babylonian version weaving these stories into a single narrative is known to have emerged.
• Around the 13th–11th centuries BC: The scribe Sîn-lēqi-unninni is traditionally credited with editing the Standard Version, consisting of twelve tablets (inscribed clay tablets).
• 7th century BC: Cuneiform (wedge-shaped script) copies were kept in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal.
• Mid-19th century: British excavators discovered these tablets at the site of Nineveh and transferred them to the British Museum.
• 1872: George Smith of the British Museum deciphered and published the flood story recorded on Tablet XI.

Results and Influence

Smith's announcement attracted widespread interest. The flood story on Tablet XI shares many similarities with the account of Noah's flood:

• A deity gives advance warning and has a boat built.
• The boat is coated with pitch.
• After the boat comes to rest on a mountain, birds are sent out.
• After the waters recede, a sacrifice is offered, and the deity smells its aroma.

The differences are also clear. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a polytheistic story involving many gods, and it does not clearly state why the gods sent the flood. Genesis, by contrast, records that the one God brought judgment because of human wickedness (Genesis 6:5). The place where the boat came to rest also differs: in the epic it is Mount Nimush (Nisir), while in Genesis it is Mount Ararat. In addition, Utnapishtim receives eternal life, whereas Noah does not.

In 1902 the German Assyriologist Friedrich Delitzsch sparked controversy in his "Babel and Bible" lectures by arguing that the Old Testament was heavily dependent on Babylonian culture. In Korean churches as well, the epic is frequently cited in sermons on Noah's flood, in Christian apologetics books, and in lectures on creation and evolution.

Assessment

Interpretations of the relationship between the two accounts vary.

• Historical-critical scholarship and scholars associated with liberal theology: The author of Genesis adopted Mesopotamian flood traditions and reworked them.
• Conservative evangelicals: A shared memory of an actual flood survived among various peoples, and of these accounts Genesis is the most accurate record. This view is often held in conjunction with biblical inerrancy.
• Another view: Genesis borrowed the form of a story widely known at the time while offering a theological response that corrects its polytheistic worldview.

It is generally acknowledged that the extant tablets predate the period commonly regarded as the time when Genesis was written. Views differ, however, on whether this fact proves direct dependence.