In the Genesis flood narrative, God instructs Noah to build the Ark from gopher wood.
Genesis 6:14 gives the Hebrew phrase usually translated as “gopher wood.” The exact identity of this wood is unknown, so “gopher wood” is a traditional transliteration rather than the name of a securely identified modern tree. Some translations have proposed “resinous wood” or another timber, but the King James Version helped make “gopher wood” the best-known English wording.
The Ark’s construction instructions also specify dimensions, three decks, rooms, and a covering of pitch for waterproofing. These details belong to the biblical flood account and should not be confused with later artistic reconstructions, which often depict ordinary cedar or pine. The phrase is therefore the specific answer expected from the Genesis text, even though scholars cannot identify the timber with certainty.