Genesis names gopher wood as the material used to build Noah’s Ark.
Genesis 6:14 instructs Noah to make the Ark from “gopher wood,” a term retained in many English translations. The passage does not clearly identify a modern tree species corresponding to that name. As a result, translators and scholars have discussed whether it was a lost wood term, a type of timber, or a descriptive expression.
Some translations render the phrase as “resinous wood” or use another explanatory wording, but “gopher wood” is the traditional English answer. It should not be confused with pitch, which Genesis says was applied inside and outside the Ark as waterproofing. The wood formed the vessel; the pitch sealed it.
The uncertainty over the exact species does not change the basic fact that Genesis names the construction material. Claims that the Ark was specifically made from cedar, cypress, or another modern species go beyond the wording of the standard biblical text.