The Epic of Gilgamesh, Part 2

Archaeology & Flood Stories: The Epic of Gilgamesh, part 2, has significance for Christians”

Why take so much time on the Epic of Gilgamesh when it’s very possible that you are fighting a yawn or perhaps thinking that right now might be a good time to rearrange your sock drawer?

First, as I mentioned in part 1, the Epic of Gilgamesh is one of hundreds of extant flood stories found among diverse cultures worldwide, including Jewish, Mesopotamian, Greek and Indian cultures, and each one contributes to the rising tide of evidence for an ancient flood.

Sure, the stories vary wildly on the details, but that’s to be expected as each culture puts its own interpretive spin and flourishes on it. For me, however, the biblical account of the flood rings the truest, but even if one found another flood tradition more compelling, it would be no light task to dismiss the historicity of an ancient flood outright given the widespread literary support for it across so many cultures.

Second, perhaps justly described as the crown jewel of all flood stories outside of the Bible, the Epic of Gilgamesh describes a worldwide flood as seen in the following quotes:

The Bible’s description of a worldwide flood has often been dismissed by historians as either an exaggeration or as merely an example of the literary use of universal language. Historians instead argue in favor of a regional flood, but the Bible finds support for a worldwide flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and there is no compelling reason to take these descriptions at less than face value.

Third, there are striking similarities in both accounts, which might suggest that one borrowed from the other, but it might just as readily suggest that they both correctly captured key details of the actual historical event. I’ll examine these similarities next time.

Finally, although the Epic of Gilgamesh pre-dates the book of Genesis by a few hundred years (with Genesis dating to 1400 B.C. and the Babylonian epic to as early as 1800 B.C.) both reflect the language and imagery of Ancient Near Eastern culture, which helps us make better sense of certain parts of their accounts, such as boat construction, indigenous animal life and sacrificial practices.

-Daniel McCabe

Trivia

What is a mihrab?

On Location: The Citadel

My travel guide calls it’s a must see, but I’ll let you decide. An ancient moat, castle-like walls over eighty feet high, the palace of King Herod, the site of Jesus’ examination by Pontius Pilate, the camp of Rome’s Tenth Legion, the residence of Crusader kings, a modern-day museum covering the whole of biblical history, a multimedia light show that tells the story of Jerusalem and a new restaurant where tourists can take a break from the afternoon heat. Christians in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. mistakenly associated the site with David’s palace, giving it the name of David’s Tower by which it is still commonly known today.

Standing on a high point in the Old City of Jerusalem the Citadel gives spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. The present outer walls date to the mid-sixteenth century, built by an Ottoman sultan who was so respected by historians for his exemplary military, architectural and cultural achievements, that they now universally call him Suleiman the Magnificent.

Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, called the palace of Herod, newly uncovered in the late twentieth century, “wondrous beyond words,” and three defensive towers built by King Herod, only one of which still remains today, have been determined to be much larger than Pharus, the great lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.

When you visit, either hire a guide or utilize the audio guides available to gain a more comprehensive understanding of what you are seeing, and when you’ve completed your tour, exit through Jaffa Gate, turn left and work your way down along the outside walls of the Citadel until you find the location championed by most reputable scholars and marked by signage that marks the site where Pilate presented Jesus to the Jews with the declaration, “Behold your King!” (John 19:14), to which the crowd replied in pitiless chorus, “Crucify Him! … We have no king but Caesar” (v. 15).

So, what do you think? Does the Citadel sound like a must see?

-Daniel McCabe

Hamartiology – the Punishment of Sin

God will ultimately punish all sin. We read this in Psalm 145, Ezekiel 18, Galatians 6, 2 Corinthians 5 and many other passages of Scripture. God punishes sin because He’s just and righteous, and every person must either pay the penalty for his own sin in eternal separation from God in hell, in the lake of fire, or accept the payment made by Jesus Christ on his behalf. So the big question comes down to this, “Who are you going to have pay for your sin? Will you have Jesus pay for it, which He’s offered to do for any person who will accept that free gift, or are you going to pay for it yourself?” Sin must be paid. It must be punished. The punishment of sin is a result of the justice and holiness of God.

But He’s patient. He’s gracious so as to give people an opportunity to repent. We see this in Mark 1, Acts 2 and Revelation 2. People have the opportunity to repent of their sin and receive forgiveness. The punishment of the sin of the world was executed on Jesus Christ on the cross so that those who repent of their sin and believe in Him will be forgiven. We see this too in passages like Luke 1, Ephesians 1, Acts 2 and Acts 13. So again, the choice is yours. Who are you going to have pay for your sin? It can be you yourself, everlastingly, for you won’t be annihilated after death. You will exist forever. Do you want to exist apart from God, paying for your sin for all eternity? Because you’ve offended an eternal God, the penalty for your sin is likewise eternal, meaning that you can never pay enough for it, long enough, or with enough quality to overcome it. That’s why there’s eternal separation for those who pay for their own sin.

But the good news is that you can have Jesus Christ pay it for you as the perfect eternal one. He is qualified to take the eternal penalty for your sin on Himself. He did the work on the cross, so that opportunity is yours. I pray and urge you to take it.

-Adam Keim

Life in the Land: The Arabs

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” So goes the famous line by Shakespeare’s Juliet, a line meant to suggest that names are not important. But sweet Juliet never tried to write this post or she’d have known better.

Who are the Arabs living in Israel? Well, it depends on whom you ask. Western media most often calls them Arab-Israelis to distinguish them from Arabs living in the West Bank, but let’s ask the Arabs themselves. In a recent public opinion poll 47% self-identified as Palestinians in Israel, 36% as Israeli-Arabs and 15% as simply Palestinians. They make up approximately 20% of the total population of Israel and by faith they are 83% Muslim, 9% Druze and 8% Christian.

Those who are citizens of Israel have the right to vote, which for Arab women is uncommon throughout the Middle East, and they are represented in the Knesset, Israel’s national legislative body. Fifteen Christian Arabs and now one Muslim Arab (as of May 2022) have even been appointed to Israel’s Supreme Court. Most Arabs are not required to serve in the Israel Defense Force so as not to force them to take up arms against fellow Arabs, but a small number still volunteer.

Most Arabs attend separate schools and live in segregated communities. This limits assimilation into educational, political and cultural circles. However, although most Arabs living in Israel identify with Palestinians and would dispute Israel’s identification as a Jewish state, the Israel Democracy Institute reported in 2019 that 85% of Arabs would readily accept a Jew as a friend.

-Daniel McCabe

Answer to the Trivia

C. A prayer niche used by Muslims that faces Mecca

Who We Are

Shalom Y’all Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all gifts to our ministry are tax-deductible. SYM was formed in 2021 to teach the Bible and lead tours to Israel. Our teaching and presentations feature the acronym S-H-A-L-O-M, which means “peace” in Hebrew.