According to Genesis, Noah was told to build the Ark from gopher wood.
Genesis 6:14 uses the Hebrew expression commonly translated as “gopher wood” or “gopherwood.” The word appears only in this passage of the Bible, so its precise botanical identity is uncertain. Unlike cedar or acacia, it cannot be securely matched to a universally agreed modern tree species.
Some translations and commentators have proposed that the term may refer to a type of cypress, resinous wood, or a general category of prepared timber. These proposals are interpretations rather than settled facts. The biblical text names the material but does not provide a species description.
This uncertainty makes “gopher wood” the safest canonical answer. “Cedar” is a popular guess because cedar was valued in the ancient Near East, while “acacia” appears in descriptions of other biblical construction projects. Neither is the wording of Genesis 6:14 for Noah’s Ark.