In Genesis, what material was Noah told to use for the Ark’s main structure?

In Genesis, Noah was told to make the Ark from gopher wood.

Genesis 6:14 uses the Hebrew term often transliterated as “gopher wood.” Most English translations preserve that wording, although some modern versions render it more generally as “cypress wood” or another type of wood. The precise botanical identity of gopher wood is not established.

This uncertainty makes the phrase a notable translation issue. “Gopher” in this context is not the name of the small burrowing mammal; it is a term whose meaning in the ancient text is unclear. The passage also separately mentions coating the Ark with pitch, but that coating is not the Ark’s structural material.

Later artwork frequently depicts the Ark as a conventional wooden ship, yet Genesis gives no detailed description of the wood’s appearance or species. The safest answer follows the traditional wording of the biblical verse.