Comparison of Genesis 6 11 W. Creation and the Flood Story

Flood Narratives: A Comparison of Genesis vs. Gilgamesh

Both the Hebrew Bible and the Babylonian "Gilgamesh" contain flood narratives of destruction and creation. However, while the Bible deploys the flood narrative as a moral judgment of God upon a particular generation of humanity, "Gilgamesh" merely uses the flood as an example of the fragile reality of the mortal human state. In the Bible, God looks upon the immorality of humankind, and uses water to ritually purify and cleanse the earth of all evil creatures, which includes most of individuals made in his image, except Noah and his household. The epic "Gilgamesh," tells story of the hero's acceptance of the transience of earthly mortal existence in the face of divine transcendence and uses the flood as a metaphor for the arbitrary nature of mortality, fate, and creation. In "Gilgamesh," even from the earth's creation, the will of the divine is arbitrary in who is allocated for death. In the Hebrew Bible, the nature of humanity's existence on the earth is just the opposite.

In Genesis, "the Lord saw the wickedness was great upon the earth." So begins the flood narrative of Genesis. (6:5) God vows to bring a flood to destroy "all flesh." (6:17) Noah in his goodness, and because of the fidelity he has exhibited to the divine, will be spared from the horrific plight of drowning. God warns Noah to prepare. "Go unto the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone of this generation are righteous." (7:1) Thus, God suggests that the flood will provide not so much a creation, but a destruction followed by a possible, potential recreation, which Noah accomplishes, according to God's instructions, after the flood has transpired, by casting rocks over his shoulder.

The ark Noah and his family ride upon across the flooding waters give them a temporary sanctuary. But in "Gilgamesh," the joined ark is the earth itself. This signifies the positive and life-giving potential of water, as well as its dark aspect, and the fact that the earth against the water is not simply a temporary state, but a permanent one -- for the earth, metaphorically was created as a kind of a boat, and thus humanity is always riding upon a fragile craft in a sea of potential destruction. When speaking of creation, it is noted by the narrator of the epic creation poem, "I laid out the contours and joined her together/I laid her out with six decks." (68)

Note as well that the flood narrative of "Gilgamesh" is a first creation of the earth, rather than a creation after the fact, after a particular generation has proved itself unworthy. However, there is still terrible aspects to flooding as "six days and six nights," the "flood winds blow." (69) But this terrible event is not characterized as a moral judgment upon a specific generation or people. In fact, the narrator importunes how the "wisest of all Gods," could bring on such a "deluge." (69)