What was the name of the wood Genesis says Noah used to build the Ark?

Genesis says Noah built the Ark from gopher wood.

In the Hebrew Bible's Ark instructions, God tells Noah to make the vessel from “gopher wood” and to cover it inside and outside with pitch. The phrase is traditionally treated as the name of the material, although the exact tree or timber species meant by the Hebrew expression is uncertain.

That uncertainty creates a common mix-up. Modern retellings sometimes identify the wood as cypress, cedar, or another durable tree, but Genesis itself does not provide a secure botanical identification. “Gopher wood” is therefore the most precise answer when the question follows the biblical wording.

The passage also describes the Ark as having compartments and three levels. Its construction details are part of the narrative's practical imagery, but they do not establish that archaeologists have identified a surviving vessel. Claims about finding the Ark remain disputed and are not proof of the biblical account.