What ancient Mesopotamian epic contains the flood story most closely paralleling Noah’s Ark?

The Epic of Gilgamesh contains the ancient Mesopotamian flood story most closely paralleling Noah’s Ark.

In the flood episode of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the survivor Utnapishtim is warned by the god Ea to build a large boat and preserve life. He survives a devastating flood, releases birds to discover whether the waters have receded, and later offers a sacrifice after leaving the boat.

The account appears in the eleventh tablet of the Standard Babylonian version of the epic. Its similarities to Genesis include divine warning, boat construction, preservation of living beings, birds sent out after the flood, and a post-flood offering. The names, gods, theological setting, and several details are different.

The relationship between the texts is a subject of comparative ancient Near Eastern study. It is safest to call Gilgamesh a close literary parallel rather than claim that one simple borrowing explanation has been proven. Earlier Mesopotamian flood traditions also survive in works such as the Atrahasis Epic.