In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim is the closest counterpart to Noah of Noah’s Ark.
Utnapishtim is warned by the god Ea to build a boat and survive a devastating flood. He gathers his family, craftsmen, animals, and valuable possessions, then releases birds after the waters begin to subside. His story shares several striking elements with the Genesis account, including a divinely instructed vessel, a catastrophic flood, and birds used to search for dry land.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is preserved on clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia, while the Genesis account is part of the Hebrew Bible. Scholars compare these stories as examples of related ancient Near Eastern flood traditions, but they are not identical narratives. Utnapishtim’s story also ends with his receiving immortality, a detail that differs from Noah’s later life.