homed
Leviathan, lofty as a mountain, he fastened the ship’s cable to
the horn. Being thus attached the fish dragged the ship with great rapidity, transporting it across the
briny ocean, which seemed to dance with its waves and thunder with its waters. Tossed by the tempests, the
ship whirled like a reeling and intoxicated woman. Neither the earth, nor the quarters of the
world appeared; there was nothing but air, water, and sky... 77
The
preceding Flood story resembles the Sumerian and biblical versions from which
it may have been derived in several ways:
1. The flood was used to
“purify” the world, or for its punishment, as it amounts to the same thing.
2. Manu is not saved alone,
but is allowed to take a few human beings (not his friends or family, but the “seven” holy sages of
Hindu legend), and the “seeds” Notice that the holy number, appears in both the biblical and Indian tales.
3. The
mysterious fish reveals himself to Manu as Brahma, the One Supreme Deity, and
speaks to him bidding Manu to repopulate the world. 78
Sumerian and Biblical Flood Stories Similar
Note the startling similarities between the Sumerian Flood story
and the biblical account:
“Then God Ea (Sumerian god of
the water) spoke to me his servant: “Men have rebelled against me, and I will do judgment against them
... the heavens will rain destruction ... the appointed time has come. 79
“...And
God looked on the earth,... all flesh had corrupted their way upon the
earth." Genesis 6:11
“Then
God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; ...the earth is
filled with violence because of them; ... behold I am about to destroy them
with the earth." Genesis 6: 12-13
“I
brought together and stowed into the ship... the seed of life of every kind, my
family, my men servants, and my women servants. _ .and also my nearest friends... 80
“...
you shall enter the ark; you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wife,
and your sons’ wives with you. ... and every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of
every kind into the ark,... Genesis 9:1
Having
survived the Deluge, Utnapishtim is not given any mission, or task; but simply
translated with his wife into immortal life, or, if you will, taken to
“planet Heaven.” 81
"And god blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “be
fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Genesis 9:1
Epic of Gilgamesh Provides Important Clues in Flood Account
In
the ancient poem entitled, “The epic of Gilgamesh,” the legendary King of Uruk
ventured out on a journey to the land of the gods in search of immortality.
Consequently, he was taken into the heavens where he encountered Utnapishtim (Noah), who disclosed to
him the true account of the Flood for the benefit of future generations of mankind. 82 Utnapishtim related that the gods swore an oath not to tell the humans of the
impending Flood. Warned by Enki to build the ark, Utnapishtim quickly obeyed. In order to fool
the inhabitants of Shuruppak, he was told to tell them that he must build a boat to escape the wrath of the
deity Enlil, because he had chosen to serve Ea (Enki) instead. The populace of Shuruppak were promised
a gift of food if they helped Utnapishtim build the ark. 83
It is significant that the poem mentions food, for at this time,
according to ancient Assyrian texts, mankind was in a serious state of deprivation. In an effort to
starve unruly mankind, the gods had quit irrigating crops that fed him. 84 The book of Genesis
seems to confirm this very idea by stating that “no shrub of the field was yet
in the earth ,... no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God
had not sent rain upon the earth; ...But a mist used to flow/90m the earth
and water the whole surface of the ground.” Genesis 2:5-6
lf
the earth was in an ice
the horn. Being thus attached the fish dragged the ship with great rapidity, transporting it across the
briny ocean, which seemed to dance with its waves and thunder with its waters. Tossed by the tempests, the
ship whirled like a reeling and intoxicated woman. Neither the earth, nor the quarters of the
world appeared; there was nothing but air, water, and sky... 77
The
preceding Flood story resembles the Sumerian and biblical versions from which
it may have been derived in several ways:
1. The flood was used to
“purify” the world, or for its punishment, as it amounts to the same thing.
2. Manu is not saved alone,
but is allowed to take a few human beings (not his friends or family, but the “seven” holy sages of
Hindu legend), and the “seeds” Notice that the holy number, appears in both the biblical and Indian tales.
3. The
mysterious fish reveals himself to Manu as Brahma, the One Supreme Deity, and
speaks to him bidding Manu to repopulate the world. 78
Sumerian and Biblical Flood Stories Similar
Note the startling similarities between the Sumerian Flood story
and the biblical account:
“Then God Ea (Sumerian god of
the water) spoke to me his servant: “Men have rebelled against me, and I will do judgment against them
... the heavens will rain destruction ... the appointed time has come. 79
“...And
God looked on the earth,... all flesh had corrupted their way upon the
earth." Genesis 6:11
“Then
God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; ...the earth is
filled with violence because of them; ... behold I am about to destroy them
with the earth." Genesis 6: 12-13
“I
brought together and stowed into the ship... the seed of life of every kind, my
family, my men servants, and my women servants. _ .and also my nearest friends... 80
“...
you shall enter the ark; you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wife,
and your sons’ wives with you. ... and every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of
every kind into the ark,... Genesis 9:1
Having
survived the Deluge, Utnapishtim is not given any mission, or task; but simply
translated with his wife into immortal life, or, if you will, taken to
“planet Heaven.” 81
"And god blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “be
fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Genesis 9:1
Epic of Gilgamesh Provides Important Clues in Flood Account
In
the ancient poem entitled, “The epic of Gilgamesh,” the legendary King of Uruk
ventured out on a journey to the land of the gods in search of immortality.
Consequently, he was taken into the heavens where he encountered Utnapishtim (Noah), who disclosed to
him the true account of the Flood for the benefit of future generations of mankind. 82 Utnapishtim related that the gods swore an oath not to tell the humans of the
impending Flood. Warned by Enki to build the ark, Utnapishtim quickly obeyed. In order to fool
the inhabitants of Shuruppak, he was told to tell them that he must build a boat to escape the wrath of the
deity Enlil, because he had chosen to serve Ea (Enki) instead. The populace of Shuruppak were promised
a gift of food if they helped Utnapishtim build the ark. 83
It is significant that the poem mentions food, for at this time,
according to ancient Assyrian texts, mankind was in a serious state of deprivation. In an effort to
starve unruly mankind, the gods had quit irrigating crops that fed him. 84 The book of Genesis
seems to confirm this very idea by stating that “no shrub of the field was yet
in the earth ,... no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God
had not sent rain upon the earth; ...But a mist used to flow/90m the earth
and water the whole surface of the ground.” Genesis 2:5-6
lf
the earth was in an ice
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