In response to critics of cross-cultural comparison, mythologist Wendy Doniger states, “I still think that cross-cultural comparison is worth doing and can be done responsibly, rigorously. But I now realize more fully how much is lost if [historical] context is abandoned, and how many more ways there are of contextualizing comparison to make it richer” (The Implied Spider, xi).
For this learning exercise, we use two famous flood myths: Noah’s Ark from ancient Israel and Tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh from ancient Mesopotamia (ancient Israel’s neighbor to the east):
Noah’s Ark: Genesis 6-9
Tablet XI of The Epic of Gilgamesh (PDF)
Drawing from the materials for this week, how would you begin to answer Doniger’s call to compare these two myths responsibly and rigorously? What areas of their cultural backgrounds might you study before diving into an interpretation of a) either one or b) both together? What tools or insights do this week’s authors/speakers offer you as an interpreter of myth?
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen+6-9&version=ESV