In Genesis, what material was Noah's Ark instructed to be built from?

Genesis says Noah's Ark was to be built from gopher wood. The instruction appears in Genesis 6:14, where Noah is told to make an ark from this material and cover it with pitch inside and outside.

The exact meaning of “gopher wood” is uncertain. The Hebrew phrase appears only in the Flood narrative, so there is no second biblical passage that clarifies which species of tree it names. “Cypress” is a common proposal, but it is an interpretation rather than a universally established translation.

This detail is often confused with the ark’s waterproofing. Gopher wood identifies the construction material, while pitch is the substance used to seal the vessel. The biblical account does not provide a modern botanical identification, so translations usually preserve the phrase as “gopher wood” or use a cautious equivalent.