Utnapishtim is the ancient Mesopotamian hero who builds a giant boat during a flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
In the flood story embedded in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the god Ea warns Utnapishtim to abandon his possessions and build a boat. Utnapishtim loads the vessel with his family, craftsmen, animals, and provisions before the flood arrives. After the waters recede, he releases birds to find land.
The episode resembles the later Noah narrative in several recognizable details, including divine warning, a large survival vessel, preservation of living creatures, and birds sent out after the flood. The stories are not identical: the Mesopotamian account has different gods, characters, measurements, and outcomes.
Utnapishtim tells this story to Gilgamesh, who seeks the secret of immortality. The comparison is important in the study of flood traditions across the ancient Near East.