In the mythology of the ancient Near East, Utnapishtim was the heroic survivor of a great flood. His story, told in the Babylonian epiclong poem about legendary or historical heroes, written in a grand style Gilgamesh, is similar to the biblical account of Noah and the Ark. In the Babylonian story, some of the gods decided to send a flood to destroy humanity. However, Ea, the god of wisdom and water, warned Utnapishtim of the coming flood and told him to build a ship for himself and his family. The ship was to be loaded with various possessions as well as with plants and animals of every kind.

After Utnapishtim completed the ship, it began to rain. The rain continued for seven days and flooded the earth. When the rain stopped, the ship became grounded on a mountain surrounded by water. Several days passed. On the seventh day, Utnapishtim sent a dove to search for...