What were the three levels or decks inside Noah’s Ark, according to Genesis?

According to Genesis, Noah’s Ark had three decks.

Genesis 6:16 tells Noah to make the Ark with lower, second, and third decks. The instruction is part of a compact description of the vessel’s layout, alongside its roof, side door, and opening or window.

The three-level arrangement is distinct from the Ark’s overall dimensions. Genesis gives the vessel as 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Readers sometimes combine these details incorrectly or assume that three decks means three separate boats; the text describes one multi-level structure.

The Hebrew word translated as “decks” or “stories” is understood as describing horizontal levels within the Ark. Genesis does not give a detailed floor plan, room count, or engineering specification for how animals were distributed across them, so reconstructions that add those details go beyond the text.