Gopher wood
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Noahs_Ark.jpg/400px-Noahs_Ark.jpg)
Gopher wood or gopherwood is a term
Identity
The Greek Septuagint (3rd–1st centuries BC) translated the phrase mentioning gopher wood as ἐκ ξύλων τετραγώνων (ek xúlōn tetragṓnōn), 'out of squared timber', translating gofer as squared. [2] Similarly, the Latin Vulgate (5th century AD) rendered it as de lignis levigatis (lævigatis, in the spelling of the Clementine Vulgate), 'of timber planks'.
Many modern English translations favor
Others, noting the visual similarity between the Hebrew letters g (gimel ג) and k (kaf כ), suggest that the word may actually be kopher, the Hebrew word meaning 'pitch'; thus kopher wood would be 'pitched wood'. Recent suggestions have included a lamination process (to strengthen the Ark), or a now-lost type of tree, but there is no consensus.[5]
References
- ^ "gopher". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
- OCLC 1029083225.
- ^ Hirsch, EG; Hyvernat, H (1906). "Goper-Wood". The Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
- ^ "The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon". Hebrew Union College. Archived from the original on 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
- ^ Taylor, Paul (2001). "What is 'Gopher Wood'?". Eden Communications. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
External links
- Gopherwood and Construction of the Ark Archived 2015-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
- The Free Dictionary - "Gopherwood" (giving a definition of Cladrastis kentukea)