The Genesis Debate

I am fascinated by the stories of Noah in general. Both the stories of the flood and the wine growing make me wonder about Noah's status with God.

In Gilgamesh, when Utnapishtim escaped the wrath of the Gods (the flood), he became immortal. Noah seems to be able to get away with whatever he pleases. God established a covenant between himself and Noah. But Noah's end of the deal just involved repopulating the Earth. And since Noah dies, apparently he was not immortal (at least in the Earthly sense). There seems to be the understanding between God and Noah that Noah will be left alone, to do as he pleases with his huge family. (On a random note, I really dislike that only the sons names are mentioned when various families are discussed.) I guess the gift from God for keeping his own creations alive, was keeping Noah himself alive by telling him about the flood. I think that the characters of Gilgamesh expect more from their many, temperamental Gods.

The scene with Noah drinking too much wine carries a lot of meaning and discussion in the ten lines that discuss the situation. For Ham seeing Noah's nakedness, his one of his son's lineage is punished eternally. I think this whole situation is very weird. In the Garden of Eden, God did not care that Adam and Eve say each other naked since they had no knowledge that they were in fact naked. On the other hand, he is mad that they cover themselves since they figured out that they were naked. There are very few themes that reoccurred like this in Genesis. What was author trying to tell us about nakedness? How are knowledge and sight so different, when knowledge is portrayed as sin in Garden of Eden?