Which ancient Mesopotamian poem includes the flood story of Utnapishtim, a Noah-like survivor?

The Epic of Gilgamesh includes the flood story of Utnapishtim, a Noah-like survivor.

The flood narrative appears most fully in Tablet XI of the standard version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that the god Ea warned him to build a boat and preserve life before the gods sent a devastating flood.

The episode contains several recognizable parallels with Genesis: a divinely announced disaster, a specially constructed vessel, survival of a chosen household, animals aboard, and birds sent out after the waters rise. It also has important differences in names, theology, narrative setting, and details of the boat.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the best-known works of ancient Mesopotamian literature. Its flood account is often compared with Genesis in studies of ancient Near Eastern flood traditions, but comparison does not make the two stories identical. Each text has its own literary structure and religious outlook.