Who is the Mesopotamian flood survivor in the Epic of Gilgamesh?

Utnapishtim is the Mesopotamian flood survivor in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In the epic, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh how the god Ea warned him to build a large boat and preserve life from a devastating flood. Utnapishtim follows the warning, survives the catastrophe, and later receives immortality with his wife.

The story is one of the best-known parallels to the Noah narrative. Both accounts feature divine warnings, a specially built vessel, preservation of living beings, birds used to test the waters, and a sacrifice after the survivors disembark. The details and names, however, belong to different literary and religious traditions.

Utnapishtim is not the same character as Gilgamesh or Enkidu, who are central figures elsewhere in the epic. The flood episode appears on Tablet XI of the standard version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Earlier Mesopotamian flood traditions also feature related figures, including Atrahasis and Ziusudra.