GILGAMESH
LECTURE 7-8
JANUARY 25-27, 2017
LECTURE 7
MYTHS OF THE GREAT FLOOD
LECTURE OUTLINE
1. Gilgamesh, Mesopotamian Epic
2. The Deluge: A Comparative View
LITERARY HISTORY
•
Languages: Sumerian & Akkadian
•
Semitic, related to Arabic & Hebrew
•
Writing: Cuneiform (2400-100BCE)
•
Oral & Written Tradition
•
Less clear than with Homer
•
Ritual use of texts
•
Enuma Elish during New Years Festival
STANDARD VERSION OF GILGAMESH
•
2000-year history
•
Found in royal library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh,
which fell in 612BCE
•
Our reconstruction
•
Includes 73 manuscripts, over 200 fragments
•
Poem is about 3000 lines; 575 still missing,
others incomplete
•
Our version keeps improving!
GILGAMESH TRADITION
•
Historical Bilgames among list of kings (2750BCE)
•
2150, collection of Sumerian stories about
Bilgames
•
Later versions compress or exclude parts of the
story (not clear why)
•
Ex: Gilgamesh restores the cult centers to their
antediluvian state
THE DELUGE: A COMPARATIVE VIEW
•
•
Sumerian tradition & Hebrew tradition
•
Gilgamesh & Atrahasis vs. Genesis 6-9
•
Shared myths, related civilizations
•
Differences demonstrate what is important to a
culture
The “great flood” is a common mythological motif
•
Not all related to Mesopotamian one
•
Most are not global in scope
•
•
The Survivor
•
Uta-napishti, Atrahasis (“extra wise”), Ziusudra
•
Noah (napish?)
Flood as division of human history
•
Flood connected to “fixing the years” of humanity
•
Antediluvian world (Genesis 6:1-4)
When people began to multiply on the face of
the ground, and daughters were born to them,
the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they
took wives for themselves of all they chose. Then
the LORD said, “My spirit shall not abide in
mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall
be one hundred twenty years.” The Nephilim
were on the earth in those days—and also
afterward—when the sons of God went into the
daughters of humans, who bore children to
them. These were the heroes that were of old,
warriors of renown. (Genesis 6:1-4)
•
•
•
Reason for the Flood
•
Atrahasis: Overpopulation & noise
•
Genesis: God’s grief at humanity’s wickedness
The Ark
•
Survivor is warned, commanded to build a boat, take on
his family, and two of each animal
•
Uta-napishti also takes craftsmen
The Flood’s duration
•
•
7 days rain, 7 days to recede vs. 40 days & 40 days
Land on a mountain: Nimush vs. Ararat
•
Release of birds
•
Survivor makes a sacrifice
•
•
Genesis: “pleasing odor” to God
•
Atrahasis: gods swarm like flies, starving for the smoke
Divine reckoning
•
Atrahasis: gods agree they made a mistake
•
•
Ea chastises Enlil for lacking measure
Genesis: God is not apologetic
•
Makes a covenant to never do it again
•
Human consequences
•
•
Atrahasis
•
Uta-napishti given immortality
•
Humanity given a lifespan
•
Overpopulation checked by barren women &
infant mortality
Genesis
•
“Be fruitful and multiply”
•
Noah lives a pretty normal life afterwards