Here are some ideas to get you started:
Noah, Utnapishtim, Atrahasis: what makes a hero?
In what ways does the Israelite story change the ending of the traditional Near Eastern epic? What do these changes suggest about the new meaning of the flood story for Israel?
What is the larger narrative context of each flood story? How does the context shape the unique function or “message” of each flood story?
How does the literary style of each story contribute to the overall effect?
(For example, poetry vs. prose, the use of direct discourse by the gods and the hero (or its absence), characterization, description, the Bible’s use of multiple sources, etc.).
How do specific similarities and/or differences that you see between the ancient Near Eastern stories and Genesis 6-9 change your previous understanding of the biblical story?
The idea of covenant is present at the beginning and end of the biblical story (Gen. 6:18 and 9:11). How does this contrast with the beginning and end of one or more of the ancient Near Eastern stories?
What religious ideas do you think the Israelites learned from the Babylonian story? What distinctive ideas did they add?
What ideas about what it means to be human does each story suggest?
For a custom-written paper, place your order now!
What We Offer
• On-time delivery guarantee
• PhD-level professionals
• Automatic plagiarism check
• 100% Privacy and Confidentiality
• High Quality custom-written papers
