Were there flood stories before the Bible?

Mesopotamian scholar, Dr. Mark Chavalas dives into one of the most famous stories in history — the Flood. But before Noah’s ark ever set sail, ancient Mesopotamian civilizations were already writing about deluges sent by the gods. How does that work?

Dr. Chavalas introduces the earliest flood traditions from Sumerian, Babylonian, and Akkadian sources — from Ziusudra and Atrahasis to Utnapishtim of the Epic of Gilgamesh — and explores how these stories compare to, and differ from, the biblical account in Genesis. Along the way, he recounts the remarkable 19th-century discovery of Babylonian flood tablets that shocked the Victorian world, sparked a clash between science and faith, and forever changed biblical studies.This episode lays the foundation for an in-depth exploration of how the Flood was understood in the ancient Near East — and how the biblical version redefined divine purpose, justice, and mercy.

🔥 IN THIS EPISODE:

➡️ How the Mesopotamian flood myths predate the biblical narrative

➡️ The earliest Sumerian and Babylonian flood traditions

➡️ How George Smith’s 1872 discovery of the Babylonian flood tablet stunned the modern world

➡️ Comparing Ziusudra, Atrahasis, and the Gilgamesh flood hero

➡️ Why the Bible’s Flood story is more than just a theological response

📚 Understanding the ancient flood traditions helps us see Genesis 6–9 not as a stand-alone myth, but as a divinely inspired response to pagan worldviews. The biblical writers weren’t copying Babylonian ideas — they were correcting them, revealing a God who is moral, relational, and sovereign over creation, unlike the fickle gods of Mesopotamia.This episode sets the stage for the next few discussions on how ancient literature shaped — and was reshaped by — the biblical vision of the flood.

💬 LET’S TALK IN THE COMMENTSWhat do you think: why do nearly every ancient culture have a flood story? Were they remembering the same event — or expressing something deeper about human nature and the divine?

‼️‼️ EMAIL US YOUR QUESTIONS : [email protected] ‼️‼️

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📚 Resources Mentioned:

➡️ Alexander Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels (1946)

➡️ W. G. Lambert & A. R. Millard, Atrahasis: The Babylonian Story of the Flood

➡️ Irving Finkel, The Ark Before Noah

➡️ Nathan Wasserman, The Flood: The Akkadian Sources (2020)

➡️ Adam E. Miglio, The Gilgamesh Epic and Genesis 1–11: Peering into the Deep (2023)