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

In the Genesis story of Noah’s Ark, the ark was made from gopher wood. Genesis 6:14 gives this unusual material name when God instructs Noah to construct the vessel before the flood.

The Hebrew expression is often transliterated as “gopher wood,” but its precise botanical identity is uncertain. Because the word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, translators cannot confidently connect it with a known modern tree species. Some versions retain the traditional phrase, while others render it more generally as “wood” or “cypress wood.”

This uncertainty does not change the narrative’s central detail: the ark is a large wooden vessel sealed against water. Genesis also says that Noah coated it with pitch inside and out. Gopher wood should therefore not be confused with cedar, acacia, or another securely identified biblical timber.