Noah builds the ark in the Genesis account of the biblical flood.
Genesis presents Noah as a righteous man who receives divine instructions to construct a large vessel before a catastrophic flood. The ark is intended to preserve Noah, his family, and representatives of the animal world. The story appears chiefly in Genesis chapters 6–9, while related flood traditions occur elsewhere in the ancient Near East.
Noah is sometimes confused with the hero of the Mesopotamian flood story, especially Utnapishtim in the Epic of Gilgamesh and Atrahasis in the Atrahasis Epic. Those are separate literary figures, although the stories share themes such as divine warning, a boat, animals, and a post-flood offering. Genesis names Noah’s sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and describes the ark as part of a covenant between God and humanity.
The biblical narrative does not present Noah as merely an ordinary shipbuilder. His obedience to the instructions is central to the story, and the ark functions both as a vessel and as a symbol of preservation during judgment.