The story of Gilgamesh seems to have many similarities with the Holy Bible. Both have a story about a flood in which most of the human race was destroyed. In both books those who survived did so inside of a boat that ended up resting on a mountain. Both books have a story that tells of birds being sent out to see if the land was dry. I would like to take a look at three other similarities that I found in both books.
1) Men with amazing physical strength: Gilgamesh and Samson.
2) Friendship: Gilgamesh and Enkidu; David and Jonathon.
3) The quest for immortality/eternal life: Gilgamesh and Nicodemus.
First, I would like to look at the similarities of men with amazing physical strength:.
Gilgamesh reminded me of Samson, with their amazing physical strength. In the bible it recorded that while Samson was journeying to Timnah with his father and mother, a young lion attacked him. "And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, thoughhe had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done." Judges 14:6 It is this same type of incredible strength, that we see Gilgamesh also display as he journeyed up the mountain forest with Enkidu his friend. They journeyed up the mountain forest to cut cedar trees, and when they were attacked by Humbaba, the monster who guards the Cedar Forest. Then, again we see him displaying his incredible strength when he had to kill the Bull of Heaven that was sent to kill him because he had insulted Ishtar.
Secondly, there were the similarities of great friendship:.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu's friendship was so strong that when Enkidu died Gilgamesh lamented his friend and kept his body until worms came out of his nostrils. Gilgamesh mourned for Enkidu so much that he paced back and forth hovering around him like an eagle and like a lioness whose cubs had fallen in a pit. In "The Epic of Gilgamesh " it states that Gilgamesh was weeping bitterly for Enkidu, his friend, as he roamed the steppe.
