According to Genesis 6:14, Noah was told to build an ark.
The English word “ark” comes through Latin and Greek Bible traditions, while the Hebrew term in Genesis is tebah. In this context it means a box-like vessel or chest, a description that fits the story’s emphasis on preservation rather than navigation to a destination.
Genesis gives the ark rooms, three decks, a side door, an opening near the top, and specified dimensions. It does not describe a mast, sails, rudder, or route. The vessel’s purpose is to keep Noah, his family, and selected animals alive through the waters.
The same Hebrew noun is used elsewhere in the Bible for the basket in which the infant Moses was placed. That parallel highlights protection from dangerous water, although the two objects are very different in scale.