Utnapishtim is identified as the ark builder in the Epic of Gilgamesh, a flood story related to Noah’s Ark.
In the flood narrative preserved in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the god Ea warns Utnapishtim to build a boat and preserve living creatures and human life. Utnapishtim follows the instructions, survives the flood, and later releases birds to determine whether the waters have receded. He ultimately makes an offering after leaving the boat.
The account is not the Genesis story and does not use Noah’s name. Its flood hero is Utnapishtim, while a related Mesopotamian tradition in the Atrahasis Epic names the survivor Atrahasis. These names are therefore not interchangeable answers.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is known from cuneiform tablets, including the Standard Babylonian version. Scholars compare its flood episode with Genesis because both contain a chosen survivor, a large vessel, preserved life, birds, and an offering, while their wording and theological settings differ.