the flood writings
I need some assistance with these assignment. the flood writings Thank you in advance for the help! The earliest myths and legends about the flood all interpret the rising waters as a sign of one or other gods’ wrath against human beings. The flood episode addresses that human beings are causing distress or anger to their god or gods because of their faults and sins, either because they are too numerous, too loud, or in other ways bothersome to the gods.  .The Jewish people were monotheistic, and so their divinity is an all-powerful being, but the same basic situation prevails here: God is unhappy with human beings.
The problem is addressed using a massive flood, which wipes out all but a chosen few. One individual is singled out as the chosen one through whom the human race can once again find its way back to harmony with heaven. In the Sumerian story, Ziusudra, who “prostrated himself before Utu”, whereas, in the development of Atra-is, the chosen one is Atra-hasis, who is helped by the god Enki’s subterfuge. The Gilgamesh tale is a story within a story, and Utnapishtim uses it to warn Gilgamesh of the gods’ power and the necessity of obeying their wishes. Clearly, in each case, there is a moral that lies behind the story: human beings must fear and respect their gods.
Therefore, the flood is depicted as a means that the gods use to stamp their authority on the earth and show who has the right to determine what the fate of humanity is going to be. The wind’s might and the dramatically rising waves represent a terrifying combined force that crushes humanity and all its pride. The suffering of the people and animals who drown in the waters is seen as a massive sacrifice that restores the balance between earth and heaven, allowing a fresh start with a set of faithful and obedient people rather than rowdy and rebellious. By putting the story into this moral framework, the storyteller gives meaning to human suffering, which otherwise might be unbearable to those who listen to the development and see similar events occurring in their own lives.
 . . . . . . . . . . . The writings’ basic narrative consists of the disfavor of the god or gods, a warning being issued about the impending flood, and an instruction to build a large boat. The Sumerian tale has been imperfectly preserved, and so many details are missing, but it starts in the same way as later versions of the legend. .