According to Genesis, which material was Noah instructed to use for the Ark?

According to Genesis, Noah was instructed to use gopher wood for the Ark.

Genesis 6:14 tells Noah to make the ark from “gopher wood” and to cover it inside and outside with pitch. The Hebrew expression is usually transliterated as gopher wood, but the identity of the tree or timber is uncertain. No surviving botanical consensus securely identifies a modern species as the biblical material.

Some translations preserve the phrase, while others describe it more generally as resinous or cypress wood. These renderings reflect a translation problem rather than a different central event. The text clearly specifies a type of wood in the source language, but the ancient term is obscure.

Pitch served as a waterproofing substance, sealing the vessel’s surfaces and joints. The Ark account also mentions compartments, an opening, and three levels. Later artistic depictions often add details not supplied by Genesis, so the exact construction methods and wood species should not be presented as certain.