According to Genesis, pitch waterproofed Noah’s Ark.
Genesis 6:14 instructs Noah to cover the ark with pitch inside and outside. Pitch is a thick, waterproofing substance traditionally made from tar, bitumen, or resinous materials. The verse presents it as a coating applied to the vessel, separate from the wood used to construct it.
The exact ancient substance behind the Hebrew term is not completely certain, and English translations vary in how they render it. Some use “pitch,” while others use words connected with bitumen or resin. Whatever its precise composition, the function is clear in the narrative: the coating helped make the ark watertight.
Pitch was a familiar waterproofing material in the ancient Near East. Bitumen deposits were available in parts of Mesopotamia, and related substances appear in other biblical stories, including the basket carrying the infant Moses. The ark passage therefore combines a wooden structure with a conventional waterproofing technique.