In the Book of Genesis, what was the Ark’s main building material?

In the Book of Genesis, the Ark was to be made of gopher wood.

Genesis 6:14 instructs Noah to make the Ark from “gopher wood,” a term whose exact meaning is uncertain. Most English translations preserve it as a transliteration rather than identifying a securely known modern tree species.

The uncertainty is important: “gopher wood” is the biblical wording, not a universally agreed botanical identification. Suggestions have included cypress or other durable conifers, but none is established by the Hebrew text as definitive. Modern illustrations often choose a familiar timber, which can make the identification seem more certain than it is.

This material is separate from the substance used to waterproof the Ark. Genesis says Noah was to cover it with pitch inside and out. Thus the wood names the construction material, while the pitch concerns sealing and water resistance.