Gilgamesh and Noah Ark

Over time there have been a number of flood myths identified from ancient sources around the world. Since the nineteenth century, the flood in The Epic of Gilgamesh has been an interest to Christians because of the relations to the flood in Genesis 6-9. Both flood stories, Noah’s Ark and The Epic of Gilgamesh, challenge their main character by a flood that destroys all humankind except those protected on the ark. Although the stories differ in regards to details, the plots are similar between the two flood stories. Because of the similarity between the stories, some believe that either Genesis was copied from an earlier Babylonian story, or the Gilgamesh myth was copied from an earlier Hebrew story, or both were copied from a common source that predates them both. (Robinson)
There are many similarities between the two flood stories. In both, the flood in Noah’s Ark and the flood in Gilgamesh, the God(s) are frustrated with humanity. In Noah’s Ark, God sees evil and sin throughout civilization. In Gilgamesh, the God’s see the noise and overpopulation in humankind. In order to rid humankind, in both Noah’s Ark and Gilgamesh, the stories tell about a flood that destroys all humankind. Both stories contain only one character to be warned about the flood, Noah and Utnapishtim. Although, the meaning of Noah or Utnapishtim has no common root or connection; Noah means "rest," while Utnapishtim means "finder of life." And neither was perfect, they both were considered righteous and relatively faultless compared to those around them. (Lorey) Because both were known for their righteous and faultless, in both stories Noah and Utnapishtim were the only one’s warned about the flood. In Noah’s Ark, God choose only Noah to warn about the floo...

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...he flood, in Noah’s Ark God promises to never destroy humankind by a flood again. The details of the offering between both stories were quite different, in Gilgamesh the offering is described as wine and sheep; In Noah’s Ark Noah sacrificed burnt offerings of all the clean animals on the ark. The meaning behind both stories is different; Noah’s Ark I believe it shows if you believe in God’s faith and trust, he will protect you. In Gilgamesh, it shows that death is inevitable, and even though humans die, life still goes on.
After examining both the similarities and differences between the two flood stories, its clear why some believe The Epic of Gilgamesh was copied from Genesis 6-9. Although, after reading other flood myths, I’ve come to the conclusion that most of the plots between all of them are similar; it’s the small details that make each flood myth unique.