EPIC OF GILGAMESH

AND NOAH’S ARK

A & H 101 (GREAT BOOKS)

SUBMITTED BY:
GREGORIO, JANICA A.
BEED 1B
 EPIC OF GILGAMESH

1. What did Utnapishtim take with him on the boat? How were the selection made?
Utnapishtim is an immortal being just like how Gilgamesh knew and met him . But before
becoming an immortal Utnapishtim was once the ruler of the city of Shuruppak. During his
reign, unforgettable and terrible happenings were experienced by all. The gods namely Anu,
Enlil, Ninerta, Ea, and Ennugi decided to bring a flood to destroy the city. With the help of Ea,
one of the gods who caused the catastrophe, Utnapishtim was able to survive.

Ea directed Utnapishtim to abandon his property and to build a boat through his house walls.
For that boat, Ea gave him dimensions. It would have 6 decks and would be about 180 feet high
and enormous in size. Utnapishtim takes with him his family and all “seeds of species” to the
boat. As Ea had directed, this god made the selection.

2. How did Gilgamesh try to prove that he is worthy of immortality? Did he succeed? Why?

Utnapishthim was like other heroes who are often the talk of the city. That is because he
possessed supernatural abilities or qualities. Upon reaching Utnapishthim place, as for me
Gilgamesh already proves his worthiness. That is because stepping on Utnapishthim place was
one of a difficult and dangerous quest. No one had ever survived to reach that place except him.
However, to prove Gilgamesh worthiness for immortality Utnapishthim itself tested him. He
says, “If you think you can stay alive for eternity, surely you can stay awake for a week”
particulary challenged him to stay awake for six days and seven nights. But unfortunately,
Gilgamesh had fall into deep sleep and failed to accomplish it.

Additionally, with Utnapishtim's kind heart, he agrees with his wife's request to give
Gilgamesh something, considering the long journey he has made to get there. He told Gilgamesh
that, instead of obtaining immortality, he might obtain youthfulness. But even with this,
Gilgamesh failed to achieve it. He has lost the magic plant that he had difficulty finding at the
bottom of the sea. Because on their way, they come across a spring and Gilgamesh decides to
bathe in its waters. He leaves the magic plant on shore where a serpent comes by and steals the
plant. At the end, Gilgamesh really fails to achieve even physical immortality.

3. What significant messages do we get from the tale about death man’s mortality, and harsh
reality? How does Gilgamesh’s reaction to the death of Enkidu inform this? How do
Utnapishtim and the flood play into this?

The main message we can take from this is that death is unavoidable; we may be afraid of it,
but we cannot avoid it. We can't escape the fact that, at the end of the day, our greatness will
only remain as a memory. All living creatures are destined to face their death except if you are
an immortal being. However, even this story teaches us that immortality is unachievable.

The harsh reality we can learn from this story, which is also experienced and seen in today's
society, is that people in positions of power are abusive. They bend rules to satisfy their needs
and what makes them happy, much like King Gilgamesh did with different women. That is why
many people are offended by this aspect of him. Another harsh reality is that people do not value
what they have. They are dissatisfied with their lot in life. Gilgamesh is a good example of this,
as he sought immortality by sacrificing his life but returned home empty-handed.

After Enkidu died, he was devastated. Personal journey of Gilgamesh begins. He goes in
search of Utnapishtim in order to learn the secret of immortality. Gilgamesh places a high value
on Utnapishtim and the flood experience. Because of this flood experience, he understands how
Utnapishtim is granted immortality by the gods, which is what Gilgamesh truly desires for.
 NOAH’S ARK

4.What could be the reason why God chose Noah to build the Ark and saved mankind from a
flood?
God chose Noah and his family to re-create the world. During "The Great Flood," he vowed
to wipe out all humanity except Noah. Noah was given plans for building an ark to save his
family and the animals, as well as to restart God's existence a second time.

Of all men existing during that time, Noah was tasked with doing these things because he
possessed a good heart and bible reveals him to a “righteous man” for he was also God's sole
follower on Earth. Meaning he was the only one left who obeyed God's command and followed
his path to goodness. Unlike other men, they continued to ingest evil and wickedness, and filled
the world with violence. That is why God's dissatisfaction with humanity broke his heart, and
God felt guilty for having made man.

5.What did Noah take with him on the ark? How were they selected?
By God's command, Noah built a massive ship that saved Noah, and his family. His family
consist of eight people (him, his wife, his three sons and their wives). Together with them, God
instructed him to bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and female and he needed to keep
them alive. God made this selection, that pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal,
and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to him to be kept alive.
And for them to be able to survive the great flood, he must fill the boat with enough food.

6. If you were to make a comparison and contrast between Noah’s Ark and Utnapishtim’s
Journey, what similarities and distinctions have been pointed out in both?

If I were to compare and contrast these two great books. I will start it by comparing their
similarities. Both Noah and Utnipisthim go on a journey wherein this journey will create a huge
impact on the world. They have experienced a catastrophe in which both of them were warned
and instructed by a God on ways of how to save themselves and humankind. They built a
massive boat to serve as their shelter during the great flood that the Gods sent. They are ordered
to save all kinds of species by bringing them together in boat. Utnapishtim and Noah together
with their family and many animals survived in the ark during the great flood.

Their differences can be seen in the fact that Utnapishtim was blessed by a God named
Ea after the great flood. That he and his wife were blessed with eternal life, turning them to
immortality. However, on the other hand, Noah after the flood, as the Bible says Noah became a
farmer and he planted a vineyard. But God, our creator, had left his words in him and promised
him that "never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be
a flood to destroy the earth."

7.Research on why so many cultures have their own version of the flood myth. Explain which
flood makes the most sense to you and why. If you think they're all wrong, explain that too.

To answer this question directly, flood myths come in many forms. This is due to the fact
that we have different perspectives and backgrounds. We all have different perspectives on God.
It's because each of us is unique, and each of us sees God in our own way. And as a born
Christian, the story of Noah makes sense to me because this story can be found in our holy bible
it is integral part of our religious aspect in our spiritual beliefs. In the story, God becomes angry
with the sins of mankind. He told his faithful servant, Noah, to build an ark large enough for his
family (which included eight people; his wife, his three sons and their wives) and two of every
creature on earth. God delivered the promised deluge, killing everyone and everything on earth
except the population of the Ark.

With the variations of flood myths, none of them I have considered wrong. Why? Simply
because, as I've mentioned earlier, we are unique. We come from different origins and my
religion, being Catholic, is only one of those. I respect each other's differences, because all
religions, cultures, and beliefs deserve the same respect, even if they are different from your

own. It is important for us to foster appreciation rather than discrimination.