How many people does Genesis identify as surviving aboard Noah’s Ark?
Answer
Eight people
Genesis identifies eight people as surviving aboard Noah’s Ark.
The group consists of Noah, his wife, Noah’s three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and the three wives of those sons. Genesis 7:13 names the family members entering the Ark, while later biblical writing also refers to eight people being saved through the Flood.
The number counts people, not animals. The Ark narrative presents Noah’s family as the human survivors selected to continue life after the waters receded. Genesis then describes God’s covenant with Noah and his descendants.
Some later traditions expand the story with additional names or details, but the biblical account does not give names for Noah’s wife or the wives of his sons. The eight-person total is therefore the stable answer, while proposed personal names belong to later interpretation rather than Genesis itself.