Noah was instructed to build the ark from gopher wood in the biblical account.
Genesis 6:14 tells Noah to make the ark from “gopher wood” and to cover it with pitch inside and out. The Hebrew term translated as “gopher wood” appears only once in the Bible, so its exact botanical identity is uncertain.
Because the word is unique, translations and commentaries have proposed different interpretations. Some have treated it as the name of a particular tree, while others have suggested a type of processed or resinous wood. Modern reference works generally preserve “gopher wood” while noting that the species cannot be identified securely.
The instruction also includes the use of pitch, a waterproofing substance. That detail is separate from the wood itself and is sometimes confused with the construction material. The text gives dimensions for the ark, but it does not provide an archaeological identification of the wood used.