In the Book of Genesis, what material was Noah commanded to use for the Ark?

In the Book of Genesis, Noah was commanded to build the Ark from gopher wood.

Genesis 6:14 gives the instruction using the Hebrew term “gopher wood,” but the exact tree or timber species meant by that term is unknown. Most English translations preserve the wording rather than identifying a modern species.

The phrase is sometimes connected with cypress, cedar, or other durable woods in translations and commentary, but none is established as the definite identification. This makes “gopher wood” the safest canonical answer to the biblical wording.

The same verse also says that Noah was to make rooms in the Ark and cover it inside and outside with pitch. The pitch was intended to waterproof the vessel, while the wood formed its main structure. Later traditions and films often give the Ark a specific timber such as cedar, but those details are interpretations rather than the wording of Genesis.