Before Noah: The Story of Atrahasis and the Great Flood
Most people know the story of Noah and the flood from the Bible. But before that, in ancient Mesopotamia around 1700 BCE, people told a similar story about a man named Atrahasis. Atrahasis’s story is one of the oldest known flood narratives in the world, and it provides important lessons about wisdom, obedience, and survival. Who Was Atrahasis? Atrahasis was considered a wise man who lived in a world where humans and gods coexisted. According to Mesopotamian texts, humans were created to serve the gods, but as time went, they became noisy, rebellious, and careless. Their behavior angered the gods, who decided to punish humanity with a great flood. Unlike other humans, Atrahasis was favored by the gods for his wisdom and obedience. This made him the only survivor. The Warning Before the Flood. Atrahasis received a secret warning from Enki, the god of water and wisdom. Enki told him that a great flood was coming to destroy all humans. To survive, Atrahasis had to: 1. Build a b...