What kind of wood does Genesis specify for Noah’s Ark?

Genesis specifies gopher wood for Noah’s Ark.

In Genesis 6:14, God instructs Noah to make the ark from “gopher wood” in many English translations. The Hebrew term is kopher, and its precise meaning is uncertain. Because no other biblical passage clearly identifies this wood, scholars cannot confidently match it to a modern tree species.

Some translations and interpretations have proposed cypress or another resinous wood, partly because such timber could be associated with waterproof construction. Those proposals are interpretations rather than a universally established identification. “Gopher wood” is therefore the standard traditional answer to the wording of the English Genesis passage.

The same verse also tells Noah to make rooms in the ark and cover it inside and outside with pitch. The pitch is a separate material used for waterproofing. A common error is to answer “cedar,” a famous ancient building wood, even though Genesis does not specify cedar for the ark.