[ffusco]

It would be interesting to see other cultural references to this worldwide flood.

[Gothmog]

Try the story of Gilgamesh. It is supposedly the oldest ancient epic tale ever recovered (way before the Bible). It is the story of the King Gilgamesh who ruled in Iraq (yep, a little south of Mt Ararat). After his best friend, Enkidu, died, Gilgamesh sought the meaning of life, death and immortality.

He made an attempt to descend into 'hell,' (the seeds of the Greek's Orpheus) but did not get too far. Some old, dusty hole in the ground, ha ha ha.

Then the story relates his long journey in search of his 'father,' an old man who had survived the flood and had the secret of immortality:

"He [Gilgamesh] longed to hear the voice of one
Who still used words as revelations;
He yearned to talk to Utnapishtim,
The one who had survived the flood
And death itself, the one who knew the secret." (source: "Gilgamesh" a verse narrative by Herbert Mason, New American Library (Signet), 1972)