In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim is the survivor who builds a boat after a divine warning of a flood.
The flood story appears in Tablet XI of the standard version of the epic. The god Ea warns Utnapishtim to abandon his house and construct a great boat, preserving living creatures and his family from the coming catastrophe. After the waters recede, Utnapishtim releases birds to discover whether land has emerged.
The episode shares important motifs with the Genesis Flood narrative, including a divinely warned survivor, a large vessel, preservation of life, birds, and a landing after the waters decline. It is not the same story, however, and its character names and plot details differ.
Utnapishtim is sometimes confused with Gilgamesh, the epic’s central king and questing hero. Gilgamesh visits Utnapishtim to learn about mortality and the flood.