The article dwells on resemblances and differences of the Gilgamesh Epic and the Old Testament. The books belong to the world’s most valuable ancient literary heritage. The Old Testament possesses peculiar meaning of religious doctrine base. Since that, it cannot be classified as an ordinary story or narrative. The Epic of Gilgamesh meets the characteristics declared by the title; it tells about unusual adventures of an extraordinary hero. The Epic was not connected with any religious rituals of the Sumerian people.

The most obvious parallels are pointed out by means of character analysis, plot lines, motives interpretation, and genre characteristics of both works. Restricted limits of the work do not allow providing the most complete study of the Flood narratives. The latter reveal strong similarities plots, which initiated pursuits of actual base for the events.

The Old Testament, as well as the Epic, reveals the global concepts of mankind creation (making a man of clay or dust), gender attitudes (in the Epic woman is not subjected to man in comparison with Genesis), and other ethical issues.

Similarity of plot lines, motives, humanity depictions, and narrator’s objective and all-knowing character in the Gilgamesh Epic and the Old Testament provide the justification for comparison. The crucial distinction is in the genre of works named.

The Old Testament, as part of the Scripture, can not be classified as epic under “technical” requirements of the genre; since it is endowed with sacred value and is the symbol of Christianity.

At the same time, the Epic of Gilgamesh complies with requirements of the epic genre. It is a story about remarkable adventures and voyages of an extraordinary character. Gilgamesh is a classical epic hero; he is the king in the first dynasty of Uruk reigning for 126 years. He is a human for one third and god for two-thirds. We do not learn about his past deeds and how he survived hardships. The first tablet represents the King of Uruk “experienced all things”, wise, handsome, but also a cruel ruler oppressing his people leaving “no girl to her [mother]” (Foster 5).

Though gods play a significant role in the Epic, the narrative has particularly secular character. It tells the story of a hero through a number of connected episodes. No evidence of the Epic’s belonging to any religious or ritual exists though it dwells on some believes of Sumerian people, like existence of Heaven and Netherworld.

The Genesis begins with narration about the world created by God. The Epic of Gilgamesh does not convey the myths of origin as most ancient epics.

Both narratives tell about the process of man- formation of a substance relevant to the earth. According to Genesis, “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (New King James Bible, Genesis 2:7). In the Gilgamesh Epic, to comply with requests of the women of Uruk Creator goddess Aruru “gives birth” to Enkidu by pinching off some clay (Foster 6).

One of the most obvious parallels is the narratives of the Flood; their points of the agreement were surveyed in numerous researches. Frank Lorey in the article “The flood of Noah and the flood of Gilgamesh” provides detailed analysis of aspects of parallel and contrast flood characteristics, namely scale, period, reason, sender, the saved, description of the ark etc. He underlines that obvious relationships provide an “excellent evidence for the existence of a great flood from a legal/historical point of view” (Lorey).