In Genesis, what wood does God tell Noah to use for Noah's Ark?

In Genesis, God tells Noah to build Noah’s Ark from gopher wood.

The instruction appears in Genesis 6:14, where the Hebrew text uses the expression commonly translated as “gopher wood” or “gofer wood.” The exact identity of this tree or timber is unknown. “Gopher” is not securely matched with a known botanical species, so translations generally preserve the unusual word rather than identify a modern tree.

The ark is described as a large chest-like vessel covered with pitch inside and out. Genesis also specifies several structural features, including compartments, a window, and a door in its side. These details belong to the biblical flood narrative and are not an archaeological specification for a surviving boat.

A common mix-up is to treat “gopher wood” as the name of a confirmed ancient species. It is better understood as a traditional translation of an uncertain Hebrew term. Later Jewish, Christian, and Islamic discussions of the ark focus more often on its dimensions, landing place, or cargo than on identifying the timber.