In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim is the man who builds a flood-surviving ark. The god Ea warns him of a coming flood and instructs him to construct a large boat and preserve life.
Utnapishtim’s story is one of the best-known ancient Near Eastern flood narratives related to the Noah story. He takes aboard his family, craftsmen, animals, and valuable possessions, then survives a divinely sent flood.
After the waters recede, Utnapishtim releases birds to determine whether land has emerged. He eventually offers a sacrifice, and the chief god grants him and his wife a special form of immortality.
The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in cuneiform and survives in tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. Its flood hero is not Noah, and the texts differ in details such as the vessel’s shape, the gods’ motives, and the survivor’s reward.