Genesis says Noah’s Ark was built from gopher wood. The instruction appears in Genesis 6:14, where Noah is told to make an ark from this named material and coat it inside and outside with pitch.
“Gopher wood” is a traditional translation rather than a clearly identified modern tree species. The Hebrew term appears only in this passage, so scholars cannot securely match it with a known botanical name. Some translations preserve the phrase, while others render it more generally as “resinous wood” or similar wording.
The pitch was intended to make the vessel watertight, not to identify the wood itself. Genesis then describes the Ark’s dimensions, decks, rooms and opening, placing the building instructions within the flood narrative.
A common mix-up is assuming that “gopher” refers to the animal commonly called a gopher. In this context, it is the name of a building material in the biblical text, and its exact identity remains uncertain.