GENESIS AND GILGAMESH, THE GREAT FLOOD" Etching, 5-inch x 7 inches

"GENESIS AND GILGAMESH, THE GREAT FLOOD" (Raven Series) Intaglio Etching, 5-inch x 7 inches

1,500 years before the Biblical story of Noah and the Flood, Utnapishtim built his great Ark in preparation for a great flood, as recorded in the world's oldest narrative poem “The Epic of Gilgamesh”. Thousands of years separated both of these floods but the account was nearly identical! Noah and Utnapishtim were righteous men, both were summoned by their God to build a vast boat, both gathered two of every creature on earth, both were warned of a world-ending flood, and both sent out doves and ravens to find dry land. In the biblical account the dove returns after finding land, in the Gilgamesh epic it is the raven who finds land but does not return, he was too busy feasting.

In truth, both birds were Raven as a SHAPESHIFTER spirit, both were tricksters, both were immortal, and both had tremendous appetites. The Great Floods supplied them with all the food they needed. They recreate this disaster every few thousand years. Raven soon noticed that mankind constantly created its disasters, either through war or ignorance. Raven never created another Great Flood because he knew that he would never go hungry again.