The Hebrew name of Noah’s Ark in the Book of Genesis is tevah.
The Hebrew noun teivah, commonly transliterated as tevah, is used for Noah’s vessel in Genesis. It is also used for the basket in which the infant Moses is placed in the opening chapter of Exodus, creating a notable linguistic connection between the two rescue stories.
In English, the word is usually translated as “ark,” a term that comes through Latin and Greek traditions. The Hebrew term does not specifically mean a ship in the ordinary nautical sense; it refers to a container or vessel designed to preserve life.
This vocabulary differs from the Hebrew word used for the Ark of the Covenant. Noah’s Ark and the Covenant Ark are distinct objects with different stories, purposes, and terminology.