Noah’s vessel in the biblical Flood story is called the ark.
The English word “ark” comes through Latin arca, meaning a chest or box, and is used in many English Bible translations for the vessel Noah constructs. The Hebrew term is tebah, a word also used in Exodus for the basket in which the infant Moses is placed. This shared vocabulary has led scholars to note a literary connection between the two objects as containers of deliverance.
Noah’s ark is distinct from the Ark of the Covenant. Noah’s ark is a huge vessel used in the Flood narrative, while the Ark of the Covenant is a sacred chest associated with the Israelites and the tablets of the law. The similar English name can cause confusion.
In later Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, the ark became a major symbol of survival and divine protection. Modern usage also applies “ark” metaphorically to shelters or projects intended to preserve life, animals, or cultural heritage.