In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim used bitumen to waterproof his boat.
The flood story in the eleventh tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh describes the construction of a large vessel after the god Ea warns Utnapishtim. The boat is sealed with bitumen, a naturally occurring petroleum-like substance used in the ancient Near East as a waterproofing material. The text also mentions other construction materials and laborers involved in building the vessel.
Bitumen is distinct from the “gopher wood” named in Genesis. In Genesis, gopher wood is the construction material and pitch is used to coat the Ark. In the Gilgamesh tradition, bitumen is specifically associated with sealing the boat against water. Similar waterproofing practices were historically practical for wooden or reed-built boats in the region.
The episode is often compared with Noah’s Ark because both stories include a warning, a flood, a survival vessel, animals, and birds sent out afterward. Those parallels do not make the names or materials interchangeable. Utnapishtim belongs to the Mesopotamian epic, while Noah belongs to Genesis.