Stories of the Great Flood are found in every mythological culture. Most myths depict relentless rain as the source of the flooding water, while others recall raging rivers, welling groundwater, or oceans engulfing the cities. In the Near East, flood narratives abound, and dozens of versions exist in single cities alone, perhaps suggesting that this collection of stories relates to different floods. Because there are alternative versions of bothAtrahasis andGilgamesh, the details of these particular flood narratives differ from version to version. Illustrating the similarities and differences in these three stories, however, reveal some remarkable associations.

Yahweh: \u201cI will destroy man whom I
have created from the face of the
earth; both man, and beast, and the
creeping thing, and the fowls of the
air; for it repenteth me that I have
made them\u201d (6:7); also, \u201cThe end of
all flesh is come before me; for the
earth is filled with violence through
them; and, behold, I will destroy
them with the earth\u201d (6:13)

Ellil, the god of wind, commands the
flood as the sixth curse against the
people. He is supported by the
Anunna (the Anunnaki gods, the
judges of the Underworld). Adad,
the god of storms, actually makes
the floodwaters descend from the
sky: \u201cAdad made his rain pour
down\u201d (28).

We are first told that the city of
Shuruppak \u201cwas already old when the
gods within it / Decided that the great
gods should make a flood\u201d (109). Anu,
Ellil, Nintura, Ennugi, and Ea are
specifically named as swearing an
oath to send the flood (109-110).

\u201cGod saw that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually\u201d
(6:5), and that \u201cthe earth also was
corrupt before God, and the earth
was filled with violence\u201d (6:11);
also, \u201cthe imagination of man's heart
is evil from his youth\u201d (8:21)

Ellil finally decides on a great flood
only after five previous curses had
failed to kill off the humans. Ellil
had grown frustrated by the people,
who were created to relieve the
Igigi gods of their manual labor.
Ellil \u201cgrew restless at their racket\u201d
and was \u201closing sleep\u201d because of
the people who were \u201cnoisy as a
bellowing bull.\u201d Apparently the
country \u201cbecame too wide\u201d and the
\u201cpeople too numerous\u201d (18).

The source of Ellil\u2019s anger is not
directly stated. At the end of the
story, Ea chides Ellil for sending the
flood down without consultation with
the Anunnaki, suggesting the
following alternatives for killing
humans: lions, wolves, famines, amd
war (114).

Yahweh was saddened \u201cthat he had
made man on the earth, and it
grieved him at his heart\u201d (6:6)

Ellil was the mastermind of the
flood, so he fully supported this
plan. The other Anunnaki gods
seem to passively comply with
Ellil\u2019s plan, but soon they become
uncomfortable with the level of
destruction. The first to protest is
Enki/Ea, who informs the people
how to defeat the plagues, warns
Atrahasis to build a boat, and later
openly argues with Ellil (18-19, 28-
30, 34). Later, Anu \u201cwent berserk,\u201d
and Nintu\u2019s (Mami\u2019s) lips began to
scab over as she openly regrets her
acceptance of this \u201cwicked order\u201d
(32).

Ellil commanded it but \u201cdid not
consult before imposing the flood\u201d
(114-115). Ea had vowed to keep the
news of the flood secret, but he
\u201crepeated their speech to a reed hut,\u201d
telling Ut-napishtim to \u201cDismantle
your house, build a boat\u201d and to
\u201csearch out living things\u201d (110). Once
the flooding begins, the gods \u201cwere
afraid\u201d and they \u201cwithdrew\u201d to the
Way of Anu, the upper sky, where
they \u201ccowered, like dogs crouched by
an outside wall\u201d (113). Ishtar
screamed \u201clike a woman giving birth\u201d
and contemplating how she could
have contributed to this disaster
(113). The Anunnaki likewise \u201cwere
weeping,\u201d and sat \u201chumbled\u201d by the
devastation (113).

Noah, his wife, and their three sons
(Shem, Ham, and Japeth) and their
wives: \u201cthou shalt come into the
ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy
wife, and thy sons\u2019 wives with thee\u201d
(6:10, 18)

Most of the population had died off
before the flood was sent: \u201cOnly one
or two households were left\u201d (27).
Upon completion of the boat, he
\u201cinvited his people [\u2026] to a feast\u201d
(31). Presumably, all would have
been saved from the flood if they
were asked to contribute labor.
Directly, however, we are told only
that Atrahasis \u201cput his family on
board\u201d (31).

Utnapishtim, his family, his
shipbuilders and craftsmen, including
Puzur-Amurru, his boatman, and
Urshanabi, his ferryman (112).
Generally speaking, \u201call my kith and
kin\u201d were on board the vessel (112).
Ut-napishtim employed \u201call kinds of
craftsmen\u201d (112) and \u201cgave the
workmen ale and beer to drink\u201d to
\u201cmade a feast\u201d similar to the \u201cNew
Year\u2019s Day festival\u201d (111). Were
these people allowed in the boat?

Noah \u201cwas a just man and perfect in
his generations, and Noah walked
with God\u201d (6:9) and was \u201crighteous\u201d
(7:1)

Atrahasis had been loyal to his
personal god, Enki. Atrahasis refers
to Enki as \u201cmaster\u201d and prayed to
Enki frequently: \u201cAtrahasis made
his voice heard\u201d (29). In turn, Enki
calls Atrahasis his \u201cservant\u201d (29).

Ut-napishtim \u201csacrificed sheep every
day\u201d to earn the favor of the gods
(111).

Enki communicates to Atrahasis
indirectly. Enki speaks to the wall
of Atrahasis\u2019 reed hut: \u201cWall, listen
constantly to me!\u201d (29). Atrahasis
will absorb Enki\u2019s message through
his dreams, allowing Enki to defend
himself when charged with breaking
his oath and warning the people
directly (30, 34).

Ea communicates to Ut-napishtim
indirectly, via the walls of his reed
hut: \u201cListen, reed hut, and pay
attention, brick wall\u201d (110). He is
quick to clarify that he did not tell Ut-
napishtim the secret of the gods
directly: \u201cI did not disclose the secret
of the great gods, / I just showed
Atrahasis [sic] a dream\u201d (115). Later,
Ut-napishtim speaks directly with
\u201cmaster Ea,\u201d asking \u201chow can I
explain myself to the city, the men
and the elders?\u201d (110). Ea tells Ut-
napishtim to blame it on Ellil.

All that we are told is that Noah
was obedient to Yahweh: \u201cThus
Noah did; according to all that God
commanded him, so he did\u201d (6:22)
and \u201cNoah did according to all that
the LORD commanded him\u201d (7:5).

Atrahasis dismantles his house (31),
then enlists his \u201celders\u201d (30) to help
him build the boat, including the
\u201ccarpenter,\u201d \u201creed worker,\u201d a \u201cchild\u201d
and \u201cthe poor\u201d (30).

First Ea tells Ut-napishtim to
\u201cDismantle your house, build a boat\u201d
(110). Then, apparently, the \u201centire
country gathered\u201d to help Ut-
napishtim, including the \u201ccarpenter\u201d
with his \u201caxe,\u201d the \u201creed-worker\u201d
with his \u201cstone,\u201d various \u201cyoung
men,\u201d children who \u201ccarried the
bitumen,\u201d and the poor, who \u201cfetched
what was needed\u201d (110-111).

Noah was instructed to \u201cmake thee
an ark of gopher wood\u201d and to \u201cpitch
it within and without with pitch\u201d
(6:14). The New International
Version indicates \u201ccyprus\u201d wood
instead.

Atrahasis is directed by Enki to
demolish his reed house and to use
those materials to construct the
boat: \u201cDismantle the house, build a
boat\u201d (29). He is told to use strong
\u201cbitumen,\u201d or pitch, to bind the
boards together tightly (30) and to
seal the door when the skies begin
to rain (31).

Ea tells Ut-napishtim to \u201cDismantle
your house, build a boat\u201d (110),
meaning that the three materials
named are reeds (110), bitumen (111),
and oil (111).

Only living things are specified.
Since Yahweh found the earth to be
\u201ccorrupt before God\u201d (6:11), Noah
likely took few possessions with
him except for food: \u201cAnd take thou
unto thee of all food that is eaten\u201d
(6:21)

Besides being asked by Ea to
dismantle his boat (29), Atrahasis is
also instructed to \u201cReject
possessions\u201d (30).

Ut-napishtim is also told to \u201cleave
possessions\u201d (110), but later \u201cloaded
her with everything there was,\u201d
including \u201csilver,\u201d \u201cgold,\u201d \u201call the seed
of living things,\u201d and all my kith and
kin\u201d (111-112).