In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Urshanabi is the boatman who takes Gilgamesh across the Waters of Death.
Gilgamesh meets Urshanabi after receiving directions from Siduri. The boatman serves Utnapishtim, the distant flood survivor who lives beyond the dangerous waters. Gilgamesh’s impulsive actions destroy the mysterious objects or “stone things” that help with the crossing, so he must cut poles to propel the boat without touching the lethal water.
Urshanabi eventually brings Gilgamesh to Utnapishtim, who explains that death is the fate of ordinary humans and cannot be permanently defeated. The crossing therefore functions as both a physical journey and a boundary between the human world and a remote realm associated with immortality.
Urshanabi is sometimes confused with Utnapishtim because both characters are connected with the boat and the final stage of Gilgamesh’s journey. They are separate figures: Urshanabi is the boatman, while Utnapishtim is the flood survivor.