In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Urshanabi is the ferryman who serves Utnapishtim.
Gilgamesh meets Urshanabi after crossing into the distant region where Utnapishtim lives. Urshanabi normally handles the dangerous Waters of Death, which separate the ordinary human world from Utnapishtim’s remote dwelling.
Gilgamesh damages or destroys the objects called the Stone Ones, forcing Urshanabi to help him make substitute punting poles. The journey then allows Gilgamesh to reach Utnapishtim and hear the flood story directly.
Urshanabi is sometimes confused with the boatman in other Mesopotamian underworld traditions. His role in the Gilgamesh epic is specific: he is Utnapishtim’s ferryman and an essential guide during Gilgamesh’s failed quest for immortality.