In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim builds a boat to survive a divinely sent flood.
Utnapishtim receives a warning from the god Ea, who tells him to abandon his possessions and construct a large boat. He brings aboard his family, craftsmen, animals, and seeds of living things. The flood story appears on Tablet XI of the standard version of the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the best-known flood narratives from ancient Mesopotamia.
After the waters subside, Utnapishtim releases birds to discover whether land has reappeared. He eventually offers a sacrifice, and the god Enlil grants him and his wife extraordinary, immortal status. The episode has strong similarities to the Genesis Flood story, including a warned survivor, a large vessel, preservation of life, birds, and a post-flood sacrifice.
The two stories are not identical. Their details, divine motivations, chronology, and outcomes differ. Scholars study them within the wider tradition of ancient Near Eastern flood literature, including the earlier Atrahasis Epic.