Final answer:
George Smith made the surprising discovery that the Gilgamesh tablet 58 contained a flood story similar to Noah's Ark in the Bible.
Step-by-step explanation:
When George Smith deciphered the Gilgamesh tablet 58, he made a surprising discovery. The tablet contained a story of a great flood, very similar to the story of Noah's Ark in the Bible. This discovery provided evidence that the flood story was not unique to the biblical tradition, but also existed in ancient Mesopotamian literature.