In the Book of Genesis, Noah builds an ark before the Flood.
Genesis chapters 6–9 describe the ark as a large vessel made at God's command. Noah, his family, and selected animals enter it, while a catastrophic flood covers the land. After the waters recede, the ark comes to rest and Noah leaves it to begin life again.
The English word “ark” comes through Old French and Latin from the Latin arca, meaning a chest or box. In the Hebrew Bible, the vessel is called a tebah, a term also used for the basket in which the infant Moses is placed in Exodus. That shared word has led some readers to note a literary connection between the two rescue stories.
Noah's Ark is distinct from the Ark of the Covenant, another famous biblical object. The Ark of the Covenant is a sacred chest associated with the Israelites, whereas Noah's Ark is a huge rescue vessel built for the Flood.