In Genesis, what material did Noah use for the Ark’s main construction?

In Genesis, Noah used gopher wood to construct the Ark.

Genesis 6:14 gives the instruction to make the Ark from “gopher wood,” but the text does not identify what species of tree or modern timber that phrase represents. Many translations retain the unusual term rather than translating it into a known wood.

Because the Hebrew word appears only in this passage, its precise meaning remains uncertain. Proposals have included cypress or other resinous woods, but none is established as the definitive identification. “Gopher wood” is therefore the canonical answer to the wording of Genesis.

This material is separate from the pitch used to waterproof the Ark. Genesis mentions pitch inside and outside, while the construction wood itself is named gopher wood. The two details are often combined in retellings but are not the same substance.