In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim is the man who survives the great flood. He tells Gilgamesh how the god Ea warned him to build a boat and preserve life from the coming disaster.
Utnapishtim’s story appears in Tablet XI of the standard Babylonian version of the epic. The flood narrative has several notable parallels with Genesis, including divine warning, a large boat, preservation of living beings, birds sent out to test the waters, and a sacrifice after landing. The similarities have made the passage a major subject in comparative ancient literature.
Utnapishtim is not the same character as Noah, and the names belong to different literary traditions. Atrahasis is another flood survivor in Mesopotamian literature, appearing in the earlier Atrahasis Epic. Gilgamesh himself is the king and hero who hears Utnapishtim’s account. The specific survivor in the Epic of Gilgamesh is therefore Utnapishtim.