In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim survives the great flood and tells Gilgamesh about it.
The god Ea warns Utnapishtim that the gods plan to destroy humanity. He instructs him to build a large boat, load it with living creatures and provisions, and preserve the seed of life. Utnapishtim follows the instructions despite the secrecy surrounding the warning.
The flood devastates the world, and the boat eventually comes to rest on Mount Nimush in the epic’s Standard Babylonian version. Utnapishtim releases birds to determine whether the waters have receded. Afterward, the gods grant him and his wife immortal life.
Gilgamesh visits Utnapishtim because he is desperate to escape the death that has taken Enkidu. Utnapishtim explains that immortality is not normally available to humans, making his exceptional fate a warning rather than a simple recipe for eternal life.