The great floods in the Bible that took place during the time of Noah are very similar to the Sumerian Deluge Myth from one of the Sumerian tablets.
Floods in the Bible
In the book of Genesis, Yahweh (or God, also known as Jehovah), the creator of man, felt like people’s minds had become corrupted, prompting him to flood the Earth.
God gave a man named Noah the responsibility of building an ark. Noah was a righteous man who walked in God’s ways. God had chosen him because he intended to save him and his family members. God made a convent with Noah, along with instructions to build an ark. The intention behind the ark was to not only save Noah’s family, but also to preserve animals as well as human life.
When Noah completed the ark, he and his family, along with two representatives of all animals, one male and one female, went aboard. After God ensured that everyone was safely inside and the door had been shut, he sent a heavy downpour that resulted in flooding. Everyone, including all creatures outside the ark, perished. After 40 days and 40 nights, the flood ended, and all those inside the ark disembarked. God then promised that he would never release the floods again. The great flood happened more than 2,000 years before Christ.
The Sumerian Myth
In the Sumerian religion, the deluge myth, also known as the flood myth, is one where the gods (also known as deities) sent a great flood to destroy people. This was a form of divine punishment; people had become so obnoxious, and the gods were not happy at all. Ea, the god of water and also the creator, had created people out of divine blood and clay. He warned Utnapishtim about the floods and asked him to build a boat. Just like with Noah, people and creatures that were meant to be on the boat boarded once it was done. This deluge is believed to have lasted seven days and seven nights.
The purpose of the ark, according to the gods, was to ensure that life survived. After the rain came to an end, the people and creatures on the boat were safe. The story of the Sumerian deluge is well preserved on the six-columned Nippur tablet, currently located in the Penn Museum.
Similarities
When comparing the two flood myths, many similarities between the Sumerian religion and Christianity can be seen. Firstly, in both religions, people believed in a supreme being; in the Bible, God is Yahweh (or Jehovah), and the Sumerian religion has Ea and other gods. In both religions, people believe that the gods are in charge of everything. They also believe that the gods are powerful and that they can choose to punish those who fail to obey them.
Both sets of believers were rebellious and unwilling to comply with their religious teachings, which made the gods, or God, angry. In both religions, the gods expected their believers to listen and follow their teachings, and in both cases, the gods were intolerant of people’s wickedness and lack of willingness to change those wicked ways.
In both stories, the punishment was the same – floods. The gods believed that water would be the most effective way to destroy those who were corrupt.
Each story also featured a hero. The gods chose people they felt were good and obedient – Noah in the Bible, and Utnapishtim for the Sumerians – and put them in charge of building the boats. Both heroes were approached by the gods and given instructions, which they followed. Since both men did as they were told, the gods were able to execute their mission as planned, and Noah and Utnapishtim’s families were saved. Neither god went against their promise, and thus they were honorable, and also wise, as they had chosen the correct men for the job of saving mankind.
The boats were intended to preserve life, meaning that, in both stories, the gods only did away with those who were wicked. The time after the floods was a new beginning; mankind was given a second chance. And in both situations, the wicked did not repent even after realizing that the heroes were building the boats. They did not realize the extent of the gods’ anger, and so they ended up falling victim to the floods.
The message in both stories is that the gods have a right to create, and also a right to take. They created human beings, and when they felt like it was best to return them to the earth, they did.
Furthermore, all of these events took place many years before Christ.
Summary
The flood stories show how similar the Sumerian religion is to the Bible. The gods in both stories think and execute their plans in the same way. They use the same form of punishment and approach the same type of people – heroic – to build the boats and save mankind. Each god chose to rescue the righteous and not to show any mercy to the wicked. In both the Bible and in the Sumerian religion, the gods are the creators, and they have the right to punish when their believers become rebellious. Believers are expected to obey and follow all teachings. Thankfully, both stories are well preserved, making them easily accessible for the coming generations.
