In the Epic of Atrahasis, what is the flood survivor’s name?

In the Epic of Atrahasis, Atrahasis is the flood survivor. This Babylonian story, preserved in cuneiform tablets, tells how the god Enki warns Atrahasis about a divinely planned flood and instructs him to build a boat.

The poem is one of several ancient Mesopotamian flood traditions that predate or stand alongside the biblical account of Noah. Atrahasis saves himself, his family, craftsmen, and animals, creating a strong comparative link with Genesis.

The names belong to different literary traditions. Utnapishtim is the flood survivor in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Noah is the survivor in Genesis, and Ziusudra is the corresponding figure in the Sumerian Flood Story. They should not be treated as alternate spellings of one biblical character.

The Atrahasis Epic also explains the flood through concerns among the Mesopotamian gods about human population and noise. That distinctive setting separates it from Genesis, whose Flood narrative emphasizes human violence, judgment, and covenant.