According to Genesis, what was the Ark’s roof made to have around it?

According to Genesis, the Ark had an opening one cubit high around its roof. Genesis 6:16 describes the opening using the Hebrew term tsohar, whose translation and exact architectural meaning have been debated.

Many English translations render the passage as an opening, skylight, or window-like feature. The wording places it near the top of the Ark and follows instructions for making the vessel with multiple levels, a door in its side, and an upper covering. The text therefore presents ventilation or illumination as part of the design.

This detail is often confused with the dove’s later flight from the Ark. Genesis 8 mentions Noah opening the Ark’s window when sending out birds, but that later scene does not erase the construction instruction in Genesis 6. Because ancient Hebrew building terminology is not fully certain here, “an opening one cubit high” follows the conventional English rendering without assuming a modern window design.