In the Book of Genesis, what material was Noah told to use to build the ark?

In the Book of Genesis, Noah was told 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 is unusual and its exact botanical meaning is uncertain. Many modern translations therefore retain “gopher wood” rather than identifying a known tree species.

The ark is described as a large vessel coated inside and outside with pitch, a waterproofing substance. Genesis also says it had rooms, a door in its side, and three levels. These details distinguish the biblical ark narrative from later artistic reconstructions, which often add features not specified in Genesis.

“Gopher wood” is sometimes confused with cypress because some translations and traditions propose cypress as a possible identification. That remains an interpretation, not a settled fact. The text itself names the material with the distinctive term “gopher wood.”