In the Book of Genesis, what material does God tell Noah to use for the Ark?

In the Book of Genesis, God tells Noah to build the Ark from gopher wood.

Genesis 6:14 gives the instruction in the King James Version: “Make thee an ark of gopher wood.” The Hebrew term translated as “gopher wood” appears only once in the Bible, so its exact botanical meaning is uncertain. Many modern translations retain “gopher wood” rather than identifying a known tree.

This unusual term has produced several theories. Some interpreters have proposed cypress, cedar, or another resinous conifer, while others think it may describe a construction method rather than a species of tree. None of these proposals is certain enough to replace the traditional wording in a fact-based answer.

The same verse also says the Ark should be made with compartments and coated inside and outside with pitch. The pitch was intended to make the vessel watertight, while the wood supplied its structural frame. The biblical text does not provide a modern scientific identification for gopher wood.