In the Book of Genesis, what opening did Noah make in the Ark?

The story behind the answer

In the Book of Genesis, Noah made a window in the Ark. Genesis 6:16 instructs him to make an opening for the vessel and to finish the ark to a specified height; translations differ in how they render this architectural detail.

Many English Bibles use “window,” while others translate the underlying Hebrew term as an opening, light, or roof structure. The passage also mentions a door in the side of the ark, so the window is a separate feature rather than the main entrance.

Noah later opens this feature when releasing the raven and the dove in Genesis 8. That action connects the construction detail with the story’s observations of the receding water and returning vegetation.

A skylight can be a reasonable modern interpretation of the function, but “skylight” is not the standard wording of most English translations. The safest canonical answer is window, while recognizing the translation discussion.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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