Changes

The Ark's construction consisted of "gopher wood", a material that is the subject of conjecture today.  Scholars have posited a number of possibilities for what gopher wood represents, including [[mahogany]], [[zebra wood]], [[cambriatic wood]], [[cypress]], and [[ebony]]<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/gopherwood.html What is “Gopher Wood”? ChristianAnswers.net]</ref>.  Strong's states that it is an unused root word (גֹּפֶר ''gôpher'') possibly related to either building something from wood, to house in, or a type of tree, leaning toward the cypress.  It may also be related to ''kâphar'' (כָּפַר), which in the ''Genesis'' account (ch. 6:14) specifies "pitch", leading scholars to speculate that the wood involved was from a resinous tree.

The Ark's construction consisted of "gopher wood", a material that is the subject of conjecture today.  Scholars have posited a number of possibilities for what gopher wood represents, including [[mahogany]], [[zebra wood]], [[cambriatic wood]], [[cypress]], and [[ebony]]<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/gopherwood.html What is “Gopher Wood”? ChristianAnswers.net]</ref>.  Strong's states that it is an unused root word (גֹּפֶר ''gôpher'') possibly related to either building something from wood, to house in, or a type of tree, leaning toward the cypress.  It may also be related to ''kâphar'' (כָּפַר), which in the ''Genesis'' account (ch. 6:14) specifies "pitch", leading scholars to speculate that the wood involved was from a resinous tree.

The "pitch" itself was bitumen<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bitumen</ref>, used extensively by the ancients as both a binder and a waterproofing agent.  Commonly called asphalt or tar, the material is first heated up to make it more viscous before being applied; Arabic reed boats called ''kufas'' have lasted for years after being pitched<ref>https://www.thoughtco.com/bitumen-history-of-black-goo-170085</ref>, and on a similar note it has been recorded that Native Americans also used the pitch obtained from the [[La Brea tar pits]] in California to waterproof baskets<ref>https://nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/2605</ref>.  

The "pitch" itself was bitumen<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bitumen</ref>, used extensively by the ancients as both a binder and a waterproofing agent.  Commonly called asphalt or tar, the material is first heated up to make it more viscous before being applied; Arabic reed boats called ''kufas'' have lasted for years after being pitched<ref>https://www.thoughtco.com/bitumen-history-of-black-goo-170085</ref>, and on a similar note it has been recorded that Native Americans also used the pitch obtained from the [[Rancho La Brea|La Brea tar pits]] in California to waterproof baskets<ref>https://nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/2605</ref>.  

There were three decks within the Ark, which were themselves divided into multiple rooms for the housing of the animals and food storage.  According to Gen. 6:16, the Ark was finished to within a cubit at the top (''...in a cubit shalt thou finish it above''), apparently giving the vessel a cubit-wide opening spanning much of the length of the ship.  A single large door in the side was the only entrance, and a window was placed at some point on the upper hull, which Noah would use later to release a dove to see if the flood waters had abated<ref>Gen. 8:6-12</ref>.

There were three decks within the Ark, which were themselves divided into multiple rooms for the housing of Noah and his family, the animals, and food storage.  According to Gen. 6:16, the Ark was finished to within a cubit at the top ("''...in a cubit shalt thou finish it above''"), apparently giving the vessel a cubit-wide opening spanning much of the length of the ship; this may have been the "window" that is mentioned in the King James Version, and translated as an opening for light in other versions.  This opening would allow for fresh air to circulate throughout the interior as well as for the collection of drinkable rainwater; it would also be used by Noah near the end of the flood, when he released a dove to see if the waters had abated<ref>Gen. 8:6-12</ref>.

===Construction time===

===Construction time===