In the Book of Genesis, Noah was instructed to build the ark from gopher wood.
Genesis 6:14 gives the instruction while describing the ark as a large vessel intended to preserve Noah, his family, and representatives of the animal world from the Flood. The Hebrew expression is usually transliterated as “gopher wood,” but the exact identity of the tree or timber is unknown.
This uncertainty has produced several translations and interpretations. Some scholars have suggested that the term may refer to a type of resinous wood or may reflect an ancient word whose meaning was lost. It is therefore inaccurate to identify gopher wood confidently with a specific modern species such as cypress or cedar. The passage also says the ark was to be coated inside and outside with pitch, making it watertight. In the biblical account, the material description is part of a broader set of construction instructions that includes compartments and dimensions.