Utnapishtim is the Babylonian flood survivor who builds a large boat in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
In Tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the god Ea warns Utnapishtim that the gods intend to send a flood. Utnapishtim builds a boat, brings aboard his family and craftsmen, and preserves animals and living things. After the flood, he releases birds to discover whether the waters have receded.
The episode shares several motifs with the Genesis account, including a divinely warned survivor, a large vessel, preservation of life, birds, and a post-flood sacrifice. The two stories are not identical: they belong to different literary and religious traditions, and the Babylonian account has its own pantheon, plot details, and measurements.
Utnapishtim is sometimes called “the Babylonian Noah” in introductory writing, but that nickname is comparative rather than his name in the Epic. Gilgamesh hears the account from Utnapishtim while seeking the secret of immortality.