The Assyrian Gilgamesh Epic Part IV

On the Mountains of Ararat

by Idel Suarez, Jr., Ph.D.

“And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” Genesis 8:4,

The Aftermath

After the flood, new mountain ranges sprung up where there had once been beautiful rolling hills or prairies, now barren mountain ranges with ugly boulders cluttered the landscape. Some lands remained under water while other areas, parts of the ocean floor were forcibly lifted to heights above sea level. Icebergs appeared. Water congealed to form two arctic poles, and large landmasses froze. The flood waters also evaporated to form clouds in the sky.

The Gilgamesh Epic recounts a sad and touching episode in which Ut-Napishtim looks out over the vast islandless sea and weeps.
“The landscape was as level as a flat roof. I opened the hatch, and light fell upon my face.

Bowing low, I sat and wept, tears running down my face” (1).
Genesis also states that Noah, like Ut-Napishtim, opened the window of the ark and beheld the vast sea. “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.” Genesis 8:6.

By God’s grace Noah had been mercifully and miraculously preserved through the greatest tempest of all time. He saw in the waters that those who had opposed and mocked his work were nowhere to be seen. It was a foreshadow of the last day when sin and sinners will be washed away, not by water, but by a lake of fire. Only those who remain true to the God of heaven will survive the coming catastrophe.

The Mountain Retreat

Ut-Napishtim, after having wept upon the sight of the expanse of the sea, beheld from his ship a mountainous region. The eleventh clay tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic states: “I looked about for coast lines in the expanse of the sea: In each of fourteen (regions) there emerged a (mountain) region. On Mount Nisir the ship came to a halt. Mount Nisir held the ship fast, allowing no motion” (1).

An inspired nineteenth century author’s words corroborate the Gilgamesh Epic’s point of view:
“As the waters began to subside, the Lord caused the ark to drift into a spot protected by a group of mountains that had been preserved by His power. These mountains were but a little distance apart, and the ark moved about in this quiet haven, and were no longer driven upon the boundless ocean. This gave great relief to the weary, tempest-tossed voyagers” (2).

Gilgamesh’s Mount Nisir corresponds with Genesis1 Ararat mountains. “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” Genesis 8:4. Both accounts coincide in declaring that the ship or ark landed on a mountain and not a river, sea, or lake.
Interestingly, the Genesis account refers not to Mount Ararat but to the mountains of Ararat. In fact, “Mount Ararat consists of two mountains, Great Ararat, 16,916 feet high, and Little Ararat, 12,840 feet high” (3).

In ancient times the Ararat mountains belonged to Armenia. Today, the mountain retreat belongs to Turkey. The name Ararat is a derivative of “Urartu” which was the ancient name for Armenia (4).

There is a long list of ancient historians and travelers who claimed to have seen Noah’s ark on the Ararat mountains.
• Berossus, a Babylonian historian, wrote in 275 B.C. of “the ship that grounded in Armenia” (4).

• Flavius Josephus, a first-century A.D. Jewish historian who wrote the Antiquities of the Jews, says “the Armenians call this place (‘Apobaterion’) [meaning] ‘the place of descent; for the ark being saved in that place, its remains are shown there by the inhabitants to this day'”(5).

• Nicolaus of Damascus, who wrote about universal history in the first century A.D., in his 96th book said that “there is in Armenia a great mountain called Baris, where many refugees found safety at the time of the Flood, and one man, transported on an Ark, grounded on the summit, and relics of the timbers were long preserved” (4,5).

• The most famous of travelers who claimed to have seen the ark is Marco Polo. “In his book Travels of Marco Polo he made an intriguing reference to the Ark: ‘You must know that it is in the country of Armenia that the Ark of Noah exists on the top of a certain great mountain on the summit of which snow is so constant that no one can ascend; for the snow never melts and it is constantly added to by new falls. Below, however, the snow does melt and runs down, producing such rich and abundant herbage that in summer cattle are sent to pasture'” (4).

The ark landed on a rock and its remnants may still be there inside one of the rocky clefts of Mount Great Ararat, under its snowcaps, as a silent testimony of an ancient flood and of the survivors whom escaped catastrophe.

Messenger Pigeons

According to the Gilgamesh Epic, after seven days on Mount Ararat, Ut-Napishtim sends out on three consecutive attempts three different birds: a dove, a swallow, and a raven. First, the dove or messenger pigeon returned after finding no resting place. Next, Ut-Napishtim sends forth a swallow who also returned because it found no visible resting place. Finally, Ut-Napishtim’s third attempt proved to be successful, because the raven did not return to the ship.

Gilgamesh Epic clay tablet XI says, “When the seventh day arrived, I sent forth and set free a dove. The dove went forth, but came back; since no resting-place for it was visible, she turned round. Then I sent forth and set free a swallow. The swallow went forth, but came back; since no resting-place for it was visible, she turned round. Then I sent forth and set free a raven. The raven went forth and, seeing that the waters had diminished, he eats, circles, caws, and turns not round” (1).

The Biblical version of this episode is recorded in Genesis 8:7-12:
“And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him anymore.”
The Gilgamesh Epic’s details correspond with the story in Genesis. Both accounts mention that birds were released to survey the land. Both accounts tell that there was a seven day waiting period before sending out a bird. Both accounts mention that a dove and raven were sent forth.

Both accounts agree that on several occasions the birds returned to the vessel finding no resting place. Both accounts agree that it was not until the last attempt that the released bird did not return, signifying that there was dry land to walk on.

The differences between the two accounts are minor. The Gilgamesh Epic says that a dove was first sent out, whereas Genesis says it was a raven. The Gilgamesh Epic says that the raven was the last bird sent forth, whereas Genesis says that it was a dove. The Gilgamesh Epic says that a swallow was sent forth in the second attempt, whereas Genesis makes no mention of a swallow.

The Gilgamesh Epic speaks of a total of three attempts of surveying the land through birds, whereas Genesis maintains that a total of four attempts were made. These minor differences attest that the two accounts were derived separately from a common origin: the Oral Bible.

Sacrificial Offering

Immediately after the flood and after releasing the animals, both Ut-Naphistim and Noah offered a sacrifice of thanks to God. Neither is said to have murmured upon exiting the ark, rather they seem to have viewed themselves as survivors, rather than victims. Worship was the first thing on Ut-Naphistim’s and Noah’s mind. The Gilgamesh Epic emphasizes that the sacrifice included “a libation [or drink offering] on the top of the mountains.” Genesis adds that Noah built an altar and offered burnt offerings of “every clean beast and every clean fowl”. Both accounts agree that the sacrifice was pleasing and acceptable to God. Both accounts state that God “smelled the sweet savor” from the sacrifice offered.

The Gilgamesh Epic on tablet XI states: “Then I let out (all) to the four winds and offered a sacrifice. I poured out a libation on top of the mountain. Seven and seven cult-vessels I set up, upon their pot-stands I heaped cane, cedar wood, and myrtle. The gods smelled the savor, the gods smelled the sweet savor, the gods crowded like flies about the sacrifice … [and] the great goddess arrived” (1).

Since the ark had landed on the top of a mountain, it seems reasonable that there on the mountain top the first sacrifices were offered after the flood.
The number seven keeps reappearing as a sacred number in the narrative. Recall that according to the epic, it took seven days to build the ark, the deluge lasted seven days, a bird was sent out after waiting seven days on Mount Nisir, and Ut-Napishtim offered his thank offerings in “seven cult vessels.” Seven denotes perfection. Drink offerings of cane, cedar wood, and myrtle are offered to the gods. Cane sugar is sweet and can give a sweet smell if brewed. “The gods smelled the sweet savor” and were pleased.

Being a pagan historical document, the Gilgamesh Epic contains extraneous variables which entered the narrative with the passage of time and through its transmission from generation to generation. In this episode several corrupted details may be noted.

First, the narrative is polytheistic, whereas Genesis is monotheistic. Secondly, the Gilgamesh Epic speaks of the “goddess” Ishtar, whereas the Bible makes no mention of any real female gods. Thirdly, the Gilgamesh Epic compares the gods to “flies”, whereas Genesis compares God to mankind. Many of the ancients believed in insect gods, whereas the Bible presents a monotheistic God sharing our likeness and image. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Genesis 1:27. Overall, the Genesis narrative appears more sublime, spiritual, and moral than the pagan accounts of the same events as contained in the Gilgamesh Epic.

“And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.” Genesis 8:20,21.

“Here was a lesson for all succeeding generations. Noah had come forth upon a desolate earth, but before preparing a house for himself he built an altar to God. His stock of cattle was small, and had been preserved at great expense; yet he cheerfully gave a part to the Lord as an acknowledgment that all was His. In like manner it should be our first care to render our freewill offerings to God. Every manifestation of His mercy and love toward us should be gratefully acknowledged, both by acts of devotion and by gifts to His cause” (2).

Rainbow of Promise

After the sacrificial offerings, the gods of the Gilgamesh Epic resolved not to eliminate mankind entirely again. There would be no second worldwide deluge to destroy humanity. Instead animals, famine, and plagues would appear to diminish the evil-doing of men. As to Ut- Napishtim, the gods blessed him and his wife and promised them immortality.

The eleventh clay tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic records the words of god Ea as saying: “On the sinner impose his sin, on the transgressor impose his transgression! Be lenient, lest he be cut off, be patient, lest he be dis[lodged]!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge, would that a lion had risen up to diminish mankind!…
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge, would that a famine had risen up to [lay low] mankind!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge, would that pestilence had risen up to smi[te down] mankind!’…

Standing between us, he touched our foreheads to bless us: ‘Hitherto Ut-Napishtim has been but human. Henceforth Ut-Napishtim and his wife shall be like unto us gods'” (1).

The above pagan account runs a fascinating parallel with the Biblical account on the events which transpired after the flood. Like with the Gilgamesh Epic, Genesis records that God promises never to destroy mankind again with a worldwide deluge. “And I [God] will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” Genesis 9:11.

Although the Gilgamesh Epic makes no mention of a rainbow covenant, it does state that the gods promised not to send another deluge to destroy all mankind. Yet Genesis does not ignore the token of the heavenly promise. As a token of God’s mercy, as a seal of His covenant with mankind, God places the rainbow in the sky after each shower. “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” Genesis 9:12-15.

Genesis, like the Gilgamesh Epic, tells how God blessed Noah and his family while they were on the mountains of Ararat. “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Genesis 9:1. The Gilgamesh Epic adds that God touched Ut-Napishtim and his wife’s foreheads to bless them. Although the contents of the blessings are different between the two accounts, they are not contradictory. The Gilgamesh Epic says that Ut- Napishtim is promised immortality. The Bible also promises immortality to all who overcome their sins when Jesus returns from heaven on the last day of earth’s history. Genesis says that Noah and his family were blessed with the ability to reproduce and subdue the land. Although one day they would die, their genes, their teachings, and their customs would be carried on for millenniums as it has been till this day. Their Oral Bible would be passed on from generation to generation as attested by the strong correlation between the stories of the Gilgamesh Epic and Genesis.

Three Preachers of Righteousness

The book of Ezekiel mentions three natural consequences, instead of a deluge, which God would bring on mankind because of the their sins and trespasses after the flood thus validating the words of Ea recorded in the epic. “Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it…. If I cause
noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts…. Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast.” Ezekiel 14:13,15,19.

Notice that the same three natural consequences are cited in both the Bible and the pagan epic as resulting from mankind’s trespasses and sins: famine, beasts, and pestilence. Both accounts declare that natural disasters can often be traced to mankind’s sins and trespasses—like the sins of pollution, war, and meddling with genes.

Furthermore, Ezekiel cites these three sore judgments in the same context in which he speaks of Noah – the Gilgamesh Epic’s Ut-Napishtim. Noah is ranked among the three holiest men of the Old Testament. He ranks with Job and Daniel in holiness and righteousness. Each of them was called by God to withstand the tortures of famine, beasts, and pestilence or disease. Daniel was cast into the den of lions. He withstood the trial of beasts. Job was afflicted with grievous sores. He withstood the trial of pestilence. And Noah withstood the great flood and descended into a barren and famish world immediately after the deluge. He withstood the trial of famine.

Ezekiel mentions these three great heroes three times in the context of the three natural disasters resulting from men’s sins as a witness of faithfulness in times of apostasy and as examples to imitate. “Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.” Ezekiel 14:14.

Like the three primary colors of the rainbow – red, yellow, and blue – so these three primary heroes of the past stand as tokens of righteousness in times of infidelity. If you were called to withstand the fiery trial of temptation, as Daniel in Babylon’s idolatry and worldliness, as Job suffering from disease, poverty, and betrayal in Uz, and as Noah standing up to mockery, ridicule, and scoffing in the antediluvian world, would you also choose to be righteous? In times of trial, it is only the righteous who endure and see glory. Only those who see the invisible can accomplish the impossible. As if passing from a fiery furnace, the dross is melted away so the gold can shine in all its glamour.

As Jesus said, “as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the son of man be.”
Matthew 24:37. To which Peter added, “but [God] saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” II Peter 2:5. Thus, only those who are righteous and preach righteousness through Jesus Christ will endure and overcome the coming deluge of famine, beasts, and pestilence which will overtake the world just before the return of Jesus in majesty. Such righteousness can be received only by faith and! kept only by obedience to His righteous law. May you and I also become a “preacher of righteousness” and take hold on eternal life as it was promised to Ut-Napishtim.

References

1. James B. Pritchard. (Editor). (1958). The Epic of Gilgamesh. The Ancient Near East, volume 1. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, pages 65-75.
2. Ellen G. White. (1958). After the Flood. Patriarchs and Prophets. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, page 105,106.
3. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. (1981). The Living Torah. New York: Maznaim Publishing Corporation, notes on page 18.
4. Charles Berlitz. (1987). The Lost Ship of Noah. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, pages 16- 18.
5. Flavius Josephus. (c. 1 century A.D.). Antiquities of the Jews, book I, chapter DI, paragraphs
5-6. IN: William Whiston. (1987). The Works of Josephus. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, Publishers, pages 28-29.

By: Idel Suarez, Jr., Ph.D.