REQUIRED READINGS:
Gilgamesh: A New English Version, trans. Stephen Mitchell (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004).
Genesis 6:5 — 9:17 (NOAB).
PROMPT:
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Book of Genesis both present a Great Flood as a world-altering event that nearly wiped out humanity. Despite their striking similarities, each story offers a unique view of the values of the cultures that composed them. Citing specific passages in both texts, answer the following questions:
1. How do divine motivation and behavior differ between the two flood narratives? (Provide citations just for question one only)
(In other words, what is the reason the Anunnaki decide to send a flood, if there is a reason? And why specifically does God decide to send a flood in Genesis?
2. How do these differences in divine behavior reflect each cultures values, fears, and understanding of the gods/God?
(Some food for thought: what did life in Mesopotamia revolve around? And how did this influence the way Sumerians and Babylonians viewed the gods?)
(Also consider the Hebrews unique monotheism amidst a region of warring polytheistic societies. That should get you thinking about their values and fears.)
3. Finally, how might cross-cultural contact have influenced the Hebrews adaptation of a much older story (the Flood) into their own distinct theological narrative?
(In other words, why might the Hebrews have adapted this story to fit their own understanding of God while they were living among polytheistic societies?)
Please include an introduction paragraph with a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs addressing the above questions (you aren’t limited to just three body paragraphs), and an insightful conclusion.
A couple of important notes:
A paragraph is at least 4 to 5 sentences in length, and follows a clear structure (one idea per paragraph).
Your essay must be in 12pt, double-spaced, Times New Roman font (including the periods and spaces).
Please include a Chicago Manual of Style title page. See the example below for what that looks like. (The title page does not count toward your overall page count).
When citing quotes, please use Chicago-style footnotes (I’ve already cited these readings properly for you above. All you need to do is provide the right page numbers).
Footnotes go at the end of the sentence that contains the quote. If you’re using Google docs, click on “Insert” on the toolbar, then “Page Elements,” then “Footnotes.”
If you’re in doubt about how to format your citation, please refer to the writing sample below, or to the Chicago Manual of Style websiteLinks to an external site..
Citations should be in 10pt Times New Roman font.
Please use academic writing standards (no contractions, no “I” statements, no slang). All spelling and grammar conventions apply.
Please refer to the grading rubric Download grading rubricto see how you can maximize your grade! This is what I will be using to grade your essays!