Myths Became Biblical Narratives

Although the form of the compositions is similar in that the Gospels also feature a central character who is well-known and placed in situations that may or may not have happened, it is certain that Mesopotamian myths influenced the biblical tales of the Fall of Man and the Great Flood, as well as the Book of Job. The Myth of Adapa, The Eridu Genesis, The Atrahasis, and the Ludlul-Bel-Nimeqi were all adapted from Mesopotamian writings, the latter of which dealt with a good man's lament over his misfortunes and his questions about the gods' justice.

Prior to the mid-nineteenth century CE, when European and American institutions funded expeditions to Mesopotamia to find physical evidence to corroborate biblical narratives, the Bible was thought to be the world's oldest book, containing entirely original works; after that, these works were interpreted as inspired by or adapted from Mesopotamian works.