When scholars examine ancient Jewish literature, they expect to find figures like Enoch, Noah, and the patriarchs. What they do not expect to find is the great hero of Mesopotamian epic, Gilgamesh. Yet, in the fragmented, fascinating, and non-canonical Book of Giants, that is exactly who appears. The discovery of Gilgamesh in the Book of Giants, a text found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, shattered old assumptions about the ancient world. It revealed a surprising and sophisticated link between two vastly different cultures: the authors of the Jewish Enochian traditions and the heirs of Sumerian and Akkadian mythology.

This text, part of the broader literature surrounding the fallen angels, recasts the legendary Sumerian king. He is no longer the hero seeking immortality. Instead, he is one of the Nephilim, the giant offspring of the fallen Watchers, who is plagued by dreams of his own destruction. This blending of mythologies is a brilliant literary move that opens a unique window into the mind of Second Temple Judaism.

What is the Book of Giants?

Before we can find Gilgamesh, we must first understand his new home. The Book of Giants is an ancient Jewish apocalyptic text. It was composed sometime around the 2nd or 1st century BCE. For centuries, it was thought to be lost, known only through references in other religious writings. However, in the 20th century, fragments of the Aramaic original were discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of Qumran.

This book is part of the “Enochian cycle,” a collection of texts attributed to the biblical patriarch Enoch. While 1 Enoch (the Ethiopic Book of Enoch) is the most famous, the Book of Giants focuses specifically on the narrative briefly mentioned in Genesis 6:1-4. It details the exploits and, ultimately, the doom of the mighty Nephilim, who were the hybrid children of the fallen angels (the Watchers) and human women.

Unlike 1 Enoch, which focuses on the Watchers’ sin, the Book of Giants gives us the story from the giants’ perspective. It names them, explores their culture, and details their mounting terror as they begin to realize their violent lives are about to end in a divine judgment. You can read more about this foundational myth in The Watchers and the Nephilim: Unpacking the Narrative of the Book of Giants.

The Troubled Dreams of the Giants

The central plot of the Book of Giants is driven by prophetic dreams. The giants, despite their immense power and arrogance, are terrified by nightmares that foretell their own annihilation.

The text introduces several named giants, primarily Ohyah and Hahyah, who are the sons of the Watcher ringleader Samyaza. They are the ones who experience these terrifying visions. In one dream, they see a great flood. An angel descends from heaven with a tablet, and he “wiped off” the names on it, leaving only the names of Noah and his sons. This vision is, of course, a prophecy of the Great Flood, a judgment that will cleanse the earth of the giants.

This is where the story takes its most shocking turn. The text lists other giants who are part of this story, and among them, it names Gilgamiš—Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh and Hobabish: Echoes of the Epic

The appearance of Gilgamesh in the Book of Giants is not a passing reference; he is a key character. The text clearly identifies him as one of the giant-heroes, a leader among the Nephilim. He, too, is troubled by a dream and seeks its meaning.

But the link doesn’t stop there. The fragments also mention another name: Hobabish. Scholars immediately recognized this as a clear linguistic echo of Humbaba, the monstrous guardian of the Cedar Forest whom Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu famously defeat in the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh.

In the Book of Giants, the narrative is scrambled. The giants, perhaps led by Gilgamesh, seem to fight or encounter this Hobabish. The text implies that the violence of the giants, including their battle with Hobabish/Humbaba, is what angers God and brings about their judgment.

The authors of the Book of Giants were not just borrowing a name. They were actively drawing from the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the most famous and widely circulated stories in the ancient Near East. For more on the original story, authoritative sources like the World History Encyclopedia provide excellent context.

Why Would Jewish Scribes Use Pagan Heroes?

This deliberate blending of mythologies, known as syncretism, is a fascinating intellectual puzzle. Why would Jewish scribes, writing a religious text about the origin of evil, intentionally include the greatest hero of Mesopotamian “paganism”? Scholars propose several compelling theories:

1. Cultural Euhemerism: Euhemerism is the idea that myths are based on real historical figures. The Jewish authors may have seen Gilgamesh as a real, ancient king. Given his legendary strength and “mighty man” status (a phrase from Genesis 6:4), it was logical to identify him as one of the Nephilim from their own sacred history.
2. A “Demonization” of Pagan Gods: A common ancient practice was to absorb a rival culture’s heroes or gods and re-cast them as evil or demonic forces in your own system. By making Gilgamesh a Nephilim, the Book of Giants makes a powerful statement. It says that the most celebrated hero of Babylon and Sumer was, in fact, an unholy abomination, a product of angelic sin, and an enemy of the one true God.
3. Using Fame for Legitimacy: The Epic of Gilgamesh was immensely popular. By including Gilgamesh, the authors of the Book of Giants could tap into that popularity. It was a way of saying, “You know that famous story? Here is the real story, the secret truth behind that legend.”
4. A Shared Mythological Pool: The ancient Near East was a melting pot of ideas. Stories of Giants in Ancient Texts were common, as were flood myths. The authors of Giants may have simply been participating in a shared cultural conversation, weaving all the threads they knew into a single, cohesive narrative.

A Surprising Parallel: The Quest for the Flood Survivor

The most brilliant part of this literary borrowing is how the Book of Giants mirrors the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the Mesopotamian epic, Gilgamesh, terrified of death, goes on a great quest to find Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim is the only man to have survived the Great Flood and been granted immortality by the gods. Gilgamesh seeks him to learn the secret of eternal life.

The Book of Giants creates a stunning parallel.

The giants, including Gilgamesh, are terrified by their dreams of the coming flood. They need someone to interpret these visions. But who? Their fallen angel fathers, Who Are the Watchers: The Fallen Angels of the Book of Enoch, are powerless to help.

So, they decide to send a representative on a quest to find the one man who can help them: Enoch. In their tradition, Enoch is the righteous man who “walked with God” and was taken to heaven before the flood. Like Utnapishtim, Enoch is the great “survivor” who has access to divine secrets.

This parallel is too perfect to be a coincidence. The Book of Giants recasts Gilgamesh in his own story. He is once again the mighty king on a desperate quest to find the “flood survivor” (Enoch/Utnapishtim) to understand his own mortality.

The Answer from Enoch

The Book of Giants describes this quest. One of the giants, Mahway, travels to the “ends of the earth” to find Enoch. He crosses the great sea—just as Gilgamesh did—to deliver the message.

Enoch, acting as God’s prophet, sends back a devastating reply. He delivers a tablet to the giants, confirming their dreams. There will be no escape. Their judgment is sealed, and they will all be destroyed in the flood for their violence and corruption. You can read more about Enoch’s prophetic role in Enoch’s Prophecies Explained: What the Ancient Texts Foretell About the End Times.

This is the final, brilliant twist. In the Mesopotamian epic, Gilgamesh fails to gain immortality but returns with wisdom. In the Book of Giants, Gilgamesh fails entirely. He receives only a message of his own unalterable doom.

A Window into an Interconnected World

The fragmented story of Gilgamesh in the Book of Giants is one of the most important discoveries for understanding Second Temple Judaism. It proves that Jewish thinkers were not isolated. They were reading, engaging with, and even challenging the great literature of their neighbors.

This text is a sophisticated piece of cultural commentary. It absorbs the most famous hero of Mesopotamia, identifies him with the “mighty men” of Genesis, and then uses him in a story that demonstrates the ultimate sovereignty and justice of the God of Israel. It is a testament to the dynamic, complex, and interconnected world from which our modern scriptures emerged.

Check out the author’s book here: The Book of Giants.