In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim’s flood boat comes to rest on Mount Nimush. The mountain is named in Tablet XI of the standard Babylonian version, after the storm has ended and the vessel is carried toward solid ground.
Utnapishtim then waits before releasing birds to test the condition of the surrounding waters. He sends out a dove and a swallow, which return, and then a raven, which finds food and does not return. This sequence helps him determine that the flood has receded.
Mount Nimush belongs to the Mesopotamian flood tradition and should not be confused with the mountains of Ararat in Genesis or Al-Judi in the Qur’an. These related stories use different names and literary settings for the vessel’s landing place.
Some translations and discussions use the name Mount Nisir or Nitsir because of differences in rendering ancient texts. “Mount Nimush” is the conventional form associated with the standard English account of Tablet XI.