What material does Genesis name for the construction of Noah’s Ark?

Genesis names gopher wood as the material used to construct Noah’s Ark.

Genesis 6:14 instructs Noah to make the Ark from “gopher wood” in many English translations. The Hebrew expression appears only in this passage, so its exact botanical or technical meaning is uncertain. “Gopher wood” is therefore a traditional translation rather than a securely identified modern tree species.

Some translations preserve the Hebrew term, while others use expressions such as “wood of cypress” or “resinous wood.” These variations reflect translation decisions and attempts to interpret a rare word, not a second, independently stated material in Genesis.

The verse also describes the Ark as having compartments and being coated inside and outside with pitch. The pitch would have helped make the vessel watertight. Biblical details about the material do not establish that a surviving wooden ship or modern archaeological object is Noah’s Ark.