The Three Floods: Gilgamesh, The Bible, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Topic No. 1

Gilgamesh is the first story to tell of a worldwide flood, a theme that is repeated a thousand years later in the Old Testament (Genesis 6-9) and after another thousand, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. PICK ONE FEATURE that appears in all three versions of the Great Flood, such as the God(s), the survivors, the birds, the mountains, the rainbows, etc. First interpret any symbolism you’re able to glean, then follow that with a discussion of how it’s possible to reach a distinctly different moral in each story, depending on the discrepancies you find between them.

Brainstorming
- Is the storm itself a literary symbol? What is the symbolic significance of water? How is it portrayed by each culture?
- Which god or gods send the flood and what is their reasoning? Is it logical? Do any of them struggle with regret or not?
- What sort of character does each survivor personify? How do they reflect the values of the society which produced them.
- You can look at the construction of the boat (or not, depending on whether the survivor received a warning). Could the boat be a metaphor?
- Analyze the symbolic role of the birds in each story. Notice that one is lost in each retelling, starting with three and ending with one: a dove, a swallow and a raven were all mentioned in Gilgamesh but the bible only names two, a raven and a dove. Ovid doesn’t identify the single bird he refers to. Describe the symbolic character of the birds and the order in which they are sent—if sent—what lesson may be derived from their actions?

POST Aim for about 500 words.

Sample Outline:

INTRODUCTION

Identify title and authors of the works to be discussed, e.g. “In Gilgamesh, in the Bible, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses…”
Describe what happens in all three stories in a few sentences.
Thesis, e.g. “We will examine the role of the rainbow…”
Forecast: To prove my point, we will look at three key passages in the texts…”

3 BODY Paragraphs

Claim No. 1, e.g. “In Gilgamesh, the rainbow is a memorial…”
- Your interpretation, analysis or reasoning
- Direct quotes from that text that serve as the proof of your claims.

Claim No. 2, e.g. “In the Bible, the rainbow is a covenant…”
- Your interpretation, analysis or reasoning
- Direct quotes from that text that serve as the proof of your claims.
Claim No. 3, e.g. “In The Metamorphoses of Ovid, the rainbow is an agent of destruction…”
- Your interpretation, analysis or reasoning
- Direct quotes from that text that serve as the proof of your claims.

CONCLUSION

Varies depending on your reading of the text.

WORKS CITED

List authors and titles in MLA Citation Style

Solution Preview

The Noah Flood

Over the short period, the descendants of Adam filled the earth, and they were disobeying God. God decided to restart them and giving them an opportunity of obeying Him. The consequences of human sin were floods, the flood destroyed all the living things on the earth, but some remnants remained. God saved eight people who were Noah family. God and Noah had a covenant with Noah, and He promised that He would not destroy the planet.

(570 words)