In the Genesis flood narrative, Noah was instructed to build the Ark from gopher wood.
Genesis 6:14 uses the Hebrew expression often transliterated as “gopher wood.” The passage does not identify a modern tree species, so translators generally preserve the unusual term rather than confidently equating it with a particular timber.
Several proposals have been made over the centuries, including cypress and other durable woods, but none is established by the biblical text itself. That uncertainty is why “gopher wood” is the safest canonical answer to the wording of the passage.
Later paintings, films, and model-building projects choose specific materials for practical or artistic reasons. Those choices should not be confused with a species identified by Genesis. The text gives the material's name but not a modern botanical classification.