BULRUSHES, ARK OF (תֵּ֣בַת גֹּ֔מֶא). A small basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed with bituminous materials. The term is used in the Bible only of the ark made for the infant Moses, in which he was floated on the Nile in order to escape detection by the Egyptians (Exod 2:3ff.). It is generally agreed that the bulrush mentioned was the papyrus plant which, though not now found in the lower Nile, grew there abundantly in antiquity. The Heb. word גֹּ֫מֶא, H1687, is thought to have the root meaning “to swallow” or “to absorb” (BDB), which accords with its use for the swamp reed (Job 8:11). The Biblical usage also agrees with what is known of the uses made of papyrus reed and of its natural environment; e.g. boat construction (Isa 18:2), and abundance of water (Job 8:11; Isa 35:7).

Only the ark of bulrushes and Noah’s ark are called by the name tēbāh, which is possibly an Egyp. loan word for “box” or “coffin” (BDB); the usual word in Heb. for box or for the Ark of the covenant being ’arōn. No description is given of the shape or construction of the ark, except that it was daubed with waterproofing substances hēmār and zepheṭ (RSV “bitumen” and “pitch”). It was made with some sort of cover over the top which, even if the general shape was that of the papyrus boats of the Nile, could account for the name “ark” rather than “vessel” (keley) as these boats are called in Isaiah 18:2. Keil and Delitzsch suggest that “ark” was used to indicate the similarities in shape and purpose to Noah’s ark, but, depending on the origin and usage of the word tēbāh, the connection could be the other way around. Either way, the association would be appropriate to the unique significance of these two craft.

Bibliography M. Kalisch, Exodus (1855), 22f.; KD, Exodus; W. Walker, All The Plants of the Bible (1958), 42.