Text / workRootsc. 1200 BCE

The Epic of Gilgamesh

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For everyone

This Mesopotamian epic, telling of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, seeking immortality after the death of his friend Enkidu, is among the oldest known works of literature. Tablet XI contains the flood story of Utnapishtim, who, warned by a god, builds a boat and saves living creatures. The story has been compared with the Noah narratives in Genesis and the Qur'an.

For specialists

The Sumerian precursor poems date to the late 3rd millennium BCE, the Old Babylonian version to the 18th century BCE, and the twelve-tablet "Standard Babylonian" version, attributed to Sîn-lēqi-unninni, to around 1200 BCE. George Smith's translation of the flood tablet in 1872 caused a sensation. Whether the flood narratives rest on a common historical event or a shared literary tradition is debated.

Claims

There are structural similarities between the Mesopotamian flood narrative and the flood narrative in Genesis.^[1]

Positions

Islam (Qur'an): Noah was a prophet who warned his people; the flood came as a punishment on those who denied him.^[2]
Historical-critical academic view: The Genesis flood narrative was influenced by Mesopotamian tradition and reinterpreted in a monotheistic frame.^[1]

Connections

Parent

Mythology

Creation narratives The invention of writing

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Sources

BookGeorge, A. R. (2003). The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic: Introduction, Critical Edition and Cuneiform Texts. Oxford University Press (2 vols.)
ScriptureKur'an-ı Kerim, Hûd 11:25–49quran.com archive

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Cite this page

APA

Athena contributors. (2026). The Epic of Gilgamesh. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/gilgamis/

BibTeX

@misc{athena_gilgamis,
  title        = {The Epic of Gilgamesh},
  author       = {{Athena contributors}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/gilgamis/}},
  note         = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}

Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history

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