The ancient Mesopotamian flood hero in the Old Babylonian flood story is Atrahasis. The Atrahasis Epic, preserved in cuneiform tablets, tells how the god Enki warned Atrahasis to build a boat and preserve life from a divine flood.
The best-known Old Babylonian version dates to the second millennium BCE, although the story reflects older Mesopotamian traditions. The gods send the flood after conflict involving humanity, and Atrahasis follows instructions to construct a large vessel. After surviving, he offers a sacrifice and receives special treatment from the gods.
Atrahasis is related to, but not interchangeable with, other Mesopotamian flood figures. In the Sumerian tradition, the survivor is Ziusudra; in the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, he is Utnapishtim. Comparative scholars study these stories alongside Genesis, but shared motifs do not make their characters or religious settings identical.