CIVILIZATION: ANCIENT THROUGH MEDIEVAL

Comparison of the Biblical Story of the Flood with the Version of the Flood Told By Utnapishtim in Gilgamesh

Comparison of the Biblical Story of the Flood with the Version of the Flood Told By Utnapishtim in Gilgamesh

Introduction

Traditions of a Great Flood can be found in the oral and written memories of many cultures, both extant and extinct, nearly all over the world. The best-known account is that found in the biblical Book of Genesis, according to which God utterly reshaped the original creation by means of a worldwide waterborne catastrophe.

Discussion and Analysis

From the survivors of Noah's ark, both human and animal, God "replenished the earth," and human and natural history alike began anew. The precise relationship of this host of narratives to the biblical tradition is not settled. They may all stem from some singular event in the ancient past or a number of similar, but unconnected, events (Best, 1999). The Genesis account of the Flood also bears an obvious relationship to other ancient Near Eastern flood narratives (such as that preserved in the Epic of Gilgamesh), but the nature of that relationship (that is, the priority of literary influence) is uncertain.

At present natural disasters, like floods and droughts have increased in frequency and intensity, both are natural catastrophes, caused by the climatic conditions, but worsened as a result of human activities, and affect the entire planet. The increasing use of non-sustainable practices on the land particularly in the areas of agriculture, livestock and deforestation—has contributed to erosion of the vegetal cover of the ground at a higher speed (George, 2003). At the same time, the quest to increase agricultural productivity has led to the use of fertilizers, pesticides and new irrigation techniques that require diverting rivers, and extracting water excessively, which then worsens drought in arid lands. ...