The narratives of Noah and the flood in the Bible (Genesis chapters 6-9) and the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem, share similarities, particularly in their accounts of a great flood. However, from a biblical perspective, the story of Noah is not viewed as a “copy” of the Gilgamesh epic but as a true account of historical events as understood within the Judeo-Christian tradition. It is seen as an inspired record of God’s judgment and mercy, the faithfulness of Noah, and the covenant between God and humanity.

The Epic of Gilgamesh, which predates the writing of the Genesis account, contains a flood story involving a character named Utnapishtim. In this story, Utnapishtim is warned by a god to create a boat to survive a catastrophic flood intended to destroy humanity. He does so, survives the flood, and is granted immortality by the gods.

Both stories involve a divine decision to send a great flood as a response to human wickedness, a single righteous individual chosen to survive, the building of a boat to save a select group of people and animals, and a subsequent offering of sacrifice after the flood. Despite these similarities, there are significant differences in the details, purposes, and theological themes of the two accounts.

The biblical account emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and Noah, the concept of righteousness, and the promise represented by the rainbow that God would never again destroy all life on Earth with a flood. The story of Noah is integrated into the larger biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. It points forward to the New Testament where themes of judgment, salvation, and covenant are fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In contrast, the Epic of Gilgamesh explores themes of human mortality, the quest for eternal life, and the limitations of human knowledge and power. It reflects the polytheistic worldview of ancient Mesopotamian religion and its understanding of the gods as capricious and often indifferent to human welfare.

From a theological perspective, similarities between the Noah story and earlier flood myths like that in the Epic of Gilgamesh can be understood in several ways, including the possibility that multiple cultural traditions preserved a memory of a real historical event, each interpreting it through their own theological and cultural lenses. The Bible presents its account as a revelation from God, providing a unique perspective on the nature of God, human sin, divine judgment, and grace.