The Gilgamesh Epic and the Old Testament Prophetic Corpus

Since its discovery in 1850, the Gilgamesh Epic has intrigued numerous scholars of the Bible, of the ancient Near East, and of world literature. For over 150 years, translations of the epic have improved as researchers learn more about the ancient Near Eastern languages. Books and essays about the epic have produced an ever-clearer understanding of the ancient world and its literatures. Further, its discovery has greatly influenced biblical studies.;Similarly, this dissertation provides a survey of the parallels to the Gilgamesh Epic in the Prophetic Corpus of the Old Testament. After an overview of the Gilgamesh Epic, the dissertation locates the parallels in the Christian canon from Isaiah to Malachi, giving a brief explanation of each biblical passage. The dissertation also describes the Gilgamesh imagery as it existed in the Gilgamesh Epic and further investigates how that imagery affects the possible interpretation of the biblical passage.;The study also determines the legitimacy of the parallels by examining the textual similarities between the epic and the biblical passage, and also by determining how many parallels are present in each biblical passage. Parallels are not absolute, so the dissertation measures them according to probability (i.e., a "likely" or "unlikely" parallel). After the survey of the passages, the dissertation provides textual, literary, and canonical observations based on the research, and concludes with an overview of the entire dissertation.;Overall, this study seeks an orthodox understanding of the parallels between the Gilgamesh Epic and the Prophetic Corpus, and supports the view that extant biblical texts faithfully preserve the prophets' words. Therefore, any use of Gilgamesh imagery was the prophet's doing and not the work of a redactor. The dissertation also demonstrates where possible how the prophets could have had exposure to the epic, making them familiar with its themes and imagery. Though YHWH could have provided the imagery in the visions given to the prophets, He also used their own personalities, gifts, and experiences to communicate His messages. Obviously, if the prophets had exposure to the epic, then they were more likely to use its imagery where appropriate. This view recognizes the prophets' individual experiences and remains faithful to the doctrine of inerrancy.;Though the infamous "Bible/Babel" controversy has subsided, the use of comparative studies which draws parallels between the Scriptures and ancient Near Eastern culture, remains a popular discipline. Though comparing the Bible to the Gilgamesh Epic has sometimes led to unorthodox conclusions, in other instances it has illuminated the student's understanding of the Scriptures.