In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the flood survivor who built the ark is named Utnapishtim. He tells Gilgamesh how the god Ea warned him about a divine plan to destroy humanity and instructed him to build a great boat.
Utnapishtim’s story appears in the flood narrative of Tablet XI of the standard version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. He loads the boat with his family, skilled workers, animals, and provisions. After the flood, he releases birds to test whether the waters have receded, a sequence that resembles elements of the Noah story.
Utnapishtim is not Noah under a different spelling; he is the corresponding flood survivor in a Mesopotamian literary tradition. The episode is related to older Mesopotamian flood accounts, including the story of Atrahasis. Gilgamesh seeks Utnapishtim to learn about life and death.