Gopher What?

Chapters 6-9 in the Book of Genesis tell the story of Noah, a man commanded by God to save his family and Earth’s creatures from a apocalyptic global flood. Salvation comes in the form of a  gigantic, deluge-worthy vessel called an ark. This titanic titanic was constructed, as per divine instructions, out of “gopherwood”(Genesis 6:14). This is the only place in the Bible and maybe all of earthly literature to mention “gopherwood.” What exactly is it?

It might surprise you to know that no one really knows what the Hebrew word “ גפר” (gopherwood) is, though there have been plenty of guesses over the years. King James pretty much gave up on the word and left it untranslated. Other sources translate it as “cypress,” “cedar,” or “pine.” A greek translation suggests the phrase refers to how the wood or timber was handled rather than the species of wood. Perhaps the lumber had been processed, smoothed, squared and cut to fit. More contemporary, evangelical sources do a series of confounding linguistic contortions to arrive at the idea that “gopher wood” was a class of trees rich in sulfur, and that they may have been covered in pitch.

Where’s the truth in it all? Frankly, no on knows. Gopherwood shall always remain a mystery. But one thing is true, those who focus too deeply on what gopherwood is may fail to see the forest for the tree . . . so to speak.

Brian Rutter, PhD, is the cofounder of Hundredfold Video and plant biologist working for 2Blades at the University of Minnesota. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our “Sower Stories – Odd Facts About Plants” and video production tips in your inbox every month!

Works Cited:

Chaffey, Tim. “Gopher Wood: The Mystery of the Ark’s Timber.” Answers in Genesis. October 7, 2020. https://answersingenesis.org/noahs-ark/gopher-wood-mystery-arks-timber/.