<Tr> <Th> Identification </Th> <Td> K. 3375 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Gilgamesh flood myth is a flood myth in the Epic of Gilgamesh . Many scholars believe that the flood myth was added to Tablet XI in the "standard version" of the Gilgamesh Epic by an editor who utilized the flood story from the Epic of Atrahasis . A short reference to the flood myth is also present in the much older Sumerian Gilgamesh poems, from which the later Babylonian versions drew much of their inspiration and subject matter . </P> <P> Gilgamesh's supposed historical reign is believed to have been approximately 2700 BCE, shortly before the earliest known written stories . The discovery of artifacts associated with Aga and Enmebaragesi of Kish, two other kings named in the stories, has lent credibility to the historical existence of Gilgamesh . </P> <P> The earliest Sumerian Gilgamesh poems date from as early as the Third dynasty of Ur (2100--2000 BCE). One of these poems mentions Gilgamesh's journey to meet the flood hero, as well as a short version of the flood story . The earliest Akkadian versions of the unified epic are dated to ca . 2000--1500 BCE . Due to the fragmentary nature of these Old Babylonian versions, it is unclear whether they included an expanded account of the flood myth; although one fragment definitely includes the story of Gilgamesh's journey to meet Utnapishtim . The "standard" Akkadian version included a long version of the story and was edited by Sin - liqe - unninni sometime between 1300 and 1000 BCE . </P>

The story of gilgamesh might be based on a real king from what ancient civilization