Utnapishtim is the Babylonian flood hero whose story parallels Noah’s Ark.
Utnapishtim appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh, where he tells Gilgamesh how the god Ea warned him about a devastating flood. Utnapishtim built a large boat, preserved living creatures, and survived the catastrophe. Afterward, he released birds to determine whether the waters had receded.
The parallel with Noah includes a divine warning, a specially built vessel, preservation of life, a flood, and the use of birds. The stories are not identical, however. Their characters, gods, literary settings, measurements, and theological meanings differ.
The Epic of Gilgamesh survives in cuneiform tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. Its flood account is especially important in comparative ancient literature because it predates many surviving copies of the biblical text, while the exact historical relationship between the traditions remains debated.