#29 Flood Stories
Genesis 6-9 contains two sources that are thought to be woven together. There is the priestly source and the Yahwistic source. The priestly source is called such because it contains material that would only be known by priests. Whereas the Yahwistic source is named after the use of Yahweh. For example, the priestly source outlines the size and shape of the ark in Genesis 6:15 something that only priests would know. While Genesis 6:5 and many other places have statements that begin and (or) end with Yahweh. The Genesis account and the Gilgamesh account have many similarities. Both stories have someone who is told to build a boat because there will be a flood. In Gilgamesh Ea god of abzu says “O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubar-Tutu,7 demolish the house, and build a boat!” While in Genesis God called on Noah to build an ark in Genesis 6:14, “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.” Furthermore, in both stories there are mighty storms, birds that are released to check the land, and an offering is given to god. The main differences between the two stories are that there is no reason given for the flood in Gilgamesh while in Genesis it is a punishment. Also, Gilgamesh doesn’t say how many people died, and how far the water went. While Genesis is clear that it covered the whole world and everyone but those on the ark died. Another difference is the portrayal of gods while Genesis only has one God Gilgamesh has many.
The purpose of either Genesis and Gilgamesh is debatable. Generally speaking they both serve to reinforce the origin story of society. They both serve to remind people that we all have common ancestors. Although in either case this message is changed by the people in the story. For example the covenant that God makes with Noah in Genesis was understood to apply mainly to the Jewish people. While in Gilgamesh the god Ea’s favor rests on the Uruks. The origins of the stories is also unknown. The story of Noah reminded the Jewish people of their covenant with God helping to unite the people. While also providing a different understanding of the world then that provided by the polytheists of the ancient near east presuming Gilgamesh was written first. While if the Genesis account came first then I am not sure of the ramifications for our understanding of ancient near eastern literature except that the Uruk people may have found the Jewish writings to be good and adapted them. All to say the biggest difference is that they are different especially with regards to the gods and God of the stories. This key difference helped the Jewish people develop its own literature and culture that was both understandable and fundamentally different from that of their contemporaries.
If Genesis is then just a cheap copy of Gilgamesh and its mythology this affects our theology. We understand God by the words of the Bible the New Testament gives us context but the Old Testament shows us who God is. It does not matter whether or not Genesis is a copy of Gilgamesh or some other story. What is important is what those stories tell us about the nature of God and how early Israelites understood him. If Genesis is based on other stories it may shed light on what is important about the stories and what is not. For example, it might not be significant that Noah got on the ark but it may be important that he brought the animals with him as it reminds us of our responsibility to nature.
