The Epic of Gilgamesh describes Utnapishtim as building a boat to survive a devastating flood.
In the flood story embedded in the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, the god Ea warns Utnapishtim to build a boat and preserve life. Utnapishtim loads his family, craftsmen, animals, and valuable possessions before the flood arrives. After surviving, he releases birds to learn whether the waters have receded.
The story is one of the best-known ancient Near Eastern flood narratives comparable to the account of Noah. Utnapishtim is not Noah, however: they belong to different literary and religious traditions. The earlier Mesopotamian tradition also has different divine characters, narrative details, and theological purposes.
Utnapishtim’s story appears on tablets associated with the Standard Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. A related flood hero, Atrahasis, appears in another Mesopotamian composition, so those names should not be treated as interchangeable in every context.