Chapter 6 - Flood Stories and the Tower of Babel

Summary

Introduction

Just as the Bible has two creation stories, it also has two flood stories which begin in Genesis 6:5. These stories probably show more noticeable influence from ancient Mesopotamian sources than even the creation or Garden of Eden stories. Influence from Tablet XI of the Gilgamesh Epic is especially notable (ANET, 93–97). As elsewhere in the Epic, the polytheism of the ancient world is present throughout.

The Genesis account of the flood stories is itself a composite of two of the main sources of the Pentateuch: mostly J interspersed with some from P. As usual, scholars’ opinions differ ab out certain verses and parts of verses that belong to each source, yet there is agreement that there are multiple sources. Unlike the stories of the creation, the flood stories are a unified narrative, and we will deal mostly with the major differences between the two sources.

Flood Stories in the Bible and outside the Bible

Observe below the comparisons of flood stories from the accounts of J and P with the Gilgamesh Epic.

Epic: The gods secretly decide to cause a flood and destroy the city of Shurippak.

J: The Hebrew God decides to destroy the whole earth and everything on it (6:5–7).

P: God is also responsible for the flood (6:11–13).

Epic: Nothing is said about the corruption of the earth.

J: Great wickedness of humankind is responsible for it (6:5).

P: Corruption of the earth is mentioned three times and the earth filled with violence two times (6:11–13).