Ziusudra is the flood hero of the Sumerian Eridu Genesis. The surviving Sumerian text describes divine plans for a devastating flood and a warning that enables Ziusudra to preserve life in a boat.
Ziusudra is one of several ancient Mesopotamian flood heroes. In the Akkadian Atrahasis epic, the survivor is Atrahasis; in the Epic of Gilgamesh, he is Utnapishtim. These names should not be treated as interchangeable answers, even though the stories share broad flood motifs.
The Eridu Genesis survives only in fragmentary form, which limits how confidently every detail can be reconstructed. Its importance is nevertheless clear: it is among the earliest known written flood narratives and provides an important comparison for later accounts, including Genesis.