In the Epic of Atrahasis, the flood survivor’s vessel was sealed with bitumen.
The Old Babylonian Atrahasis epic, preserved on cuneiform tablets, tells of a devastating flood and a hero named Atrahasis. Its building instructions describe coating or sealing the vessel with bitumen, a naturally occurring asphalt-like substance used in the ancient Near East as waterproofing.
Atrahasis is one of several Mesopotamian flood traditions that predate or stand alongside the later biblical Noah narrative in the history of ancient literature. The Babylonian story’s boat is also described with detailed construction instructions, but its wording and measurements differ from Genesis.
Bitumen is not the same as ordinary mud or clay. It was valuable for waterproofing boats, walls, and buildings, and archaeological evidence shows that ancient Mesopotamian builders used bituminous materials for practical construction.