In the Genesis story of Noah’s Ark, what material was the ark built from?

In the Genesis story of Noah’s Ark, the vessel was built from gopher wood.

Genesis 6:14 instructs Noah to make the ark from “gopher wood” and to cover it inside and outside with pitch. The Hebrew expression translated as “gopher wood” is unusual, and the Bible does not identify a modern tree species with certainty.

That uncertainty has led to several interpretations in translation and scholarship. Some proposals treat gopher as the name of a type of wood, while others suggest it may describe a construction method or a form of resinous timber. “Gopher wood” remains the traditional English wording in many translations.

The pitch served as waterproofing for the vessel. Genesis also describes the ark as having rooms, a door in its side, and lower, second, and third decks. Later paintings and models often use familiar shipbuilding woods, but those choices are artistic reconstructions rather than specified biblical details.