There are different versions of flood stories in many different cultures. Each have certain similarities and differences between them. These two cultures have different gods and ideas of how gods acted. For Sumerians, there were many different gods and they acted much like humans. These gods seem to give little thought to how there actions could possibly affect humans. The Hebrews were monotheistic and believed that their god was thoughtful and caring.
One of the main differences between the stories is why people are killed. According to the Sumerian myth, man was killed because they were becoming an inconvenience. Enlil thought that they were making too much noise, and for this all of mankind had to be exterminated. In Genesis it is written that "God saw
the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6-9). While in the Sumerian myth people were being killed because they were an inconvenience, they were killed in Genesis for being wicked.
Who is allowed to come onto the boats is different in each story. According to the Hebrews, only Noah and his immediate family was allowed on board. The Sumerian myth states that there were artisans as well as Utnapishtim on board the boat. Utnapishtim is also instructed to bring one set of male and female animals, as well as plants. Noah is told to bring one set of unclean animals and seven sets of clean ones, and plants.
The duration of the floods is another key difference. I
All papers and essays are for research and reference purposes only!
Copyright 2002-2009
Direct Essays , LLC. All Rights Reserved. DMCA Webmasters make $$$$