The original flood myth likely dates back to ancient Mesopotamian civilizations and is best known through the Epic of Gilgamesh, which predates the biblical narrative of Noah’s Ark. In this version, the gods decide to flood the earth to punish humanity for its sins. One god, Ea (also known as Enki), warns a man named Utnapishtim and instructs him to build a large boat to save his family, craftsmen, and animals from the impending flood.

In this Mesopotamian myth:

• Utnapishtim builds a huge vessel and survives the flood, which lasts seven days.
• After the flood, Utnapishtim releases birds (a dove, a swallow, and a raven) to find dry land, similar to the story of Noah in the Bible.

This story was recorded on ancient clay tablets around 2100 BCE. Other versions of flood myths, like the Greek story of Deucalion and Pyrrha or the Hindu tale involving Manu, also share similarities, but the Mesopotamian version is generally considered one of the earliest.

Later, the biblical Noah’s Ark story, which is found in the Book of Genesis, has strong parallels to this earlier tale, though with distinct religious and cultural differences. The Noah story is part of the Hebrew Bible and became the foundational flood myth in the Judeo-Christian tradition.