In Genesis, what wood is named for Noah's Ark?

Genesis names gopher wood as the material for Noah's Ark.

The instruction appears in Genesis 6:14, where God tells Noah to make the ark from gopher wood and cover it inside and outside with pitch. The Hebrew expression is traditionally translated as “gopher wood,” but the precise species is unknown. The Bible does not identify it with a modern botanical classification.

Because “gopher” resembles the modern word for the animal, some readers mistakenly assume the ark was made from a tree associated with gophers. In fact, the term is a transliteration of an uncertain Hebrew word. Suggestions such as cypress, cedar, and resinous wood have been proposed, but none is confirmed by the biblical text.

The same passage describes the ark as a large, sealed vessel with rooms and three levels. Its purpose in the story was to preserve Noah, his family, and representatives of land animals during the Flood.