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

Genesis specifies gopher wood as the material for constructing Noah’s Ark.

In Genesis 6:14, God tells Noah to make the ark from “gopher wood” and to cover it inside and outside with pitch. The phrase is unusual because “gopher” does not clearly identify a known modern tree species. Many translations preserve the Hebrew expression rather than choosing a definite botanical equivalent.

Proposals have included cypress, cedar, and other woods, but none has achieved universal acceptance. Some scholars have suggested that the original term may have referred to a type of wood, a construction method, or a scribal form whose meaning was later lost. Consequently, “gopher wood” is the safest canonical answer when the question follows the wording of Genesis.

The pitch would have helped make the vessel watertight. Genesis also mentions rooms, a door, a window, and three decks, but it does not provide a complete engineering plan. Modern ark replicas therefore necessarily make interpretive choices about timber, joints, shape, and internal structure.