In the Epic of Gilgamesh, which character builds the flood-surviving boat?

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim builds the boat that survives the flood.

The flood story appears in Tablet XI of the standard Babylonian version of the epic. Utnapishtim says that the god Ea, also known as Enki, warned him to abandon his possessions, build a boat, and preserve life when the gods decided to send a devastating flood.

Utnapishtim’s story has notable parallels with the flood narrative in Genesis, including a divine warning, a large vessel, preservation of living creatures, birds sent out after the waters, and a sacrifice after landing. The stories are not identical, however: their names, divine settings, instructions, and details differ.

Utnapishtim is not Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is the king and hero who hears the survivor’s account while seeking answers about mortality. Enkidu is Gilgamesh’s companion, and Shamash is a major Mesopotamian sun god. These names belong to the wider epic but are not the boat builder.