In the biblical Noah's Ark account, Noah was told to build the ark from gopher wood. Genesis 6:14 gives this unusual material name when God instructs Noah to construct the vessel before the Flood.
The Hebrew term translated as “gopher wood” appears only in this passage, so its exact botanical identity is unknown. “Gopher” may be a traditional transliteration rather than the name of a clearly identified tree. Some translations preserve the phrase, while others use expressions such as resinous wood or timber.
The same instruction says that Noah should make rooms in the ark and cover it inside and outside with pitch. This waterproofing detail is separate from the wood itself. The passage does not identify a modern species, so claims that gopher wood definitely means cypress or cedar go beyond what Genesis states. Later artistic depictions often show the ark as a wooden ship, but the biblical text focuses on its construction instructions rather than a confirmed historical timber type.