Who Was Noah’s Wife?

The Bible gives some specifics about Noah (e.g., righteous man, husband, father), but it does not tell us what he looked like, how he dressed, or what his hobbies might have been.

We are told even less about his family, and Scripture does not even reveal the names of his wife and daughters-in-law.

Artistic license was taken (taking great care not to contradict biblical details) to name these four women, develop their backstories, and craft their appearances to enhance the overall guest experience.

Who Was Noah’s Wife?

Noah’s wife is one of the more overlooked characters in the Bible, considering that every one of us contains some of her DNA! But what would she have looked like, and what can we find out about her?

How Old Was Noah’s Wife?

If she were near Noah’s age, she could have been 600 years old when she boarded the ark. But even if she were, she probably aged quite a bit better than we do today!

What Did She Look Like?

We know Noah’s wife was old enough to have three grown children, and she is an ancestor of every person on earth. She probably had a mixture of traits that some might associate with “race,” so it is likely that she was neither particularly pale nor dark.

What Did She Do?

It’s not unreasonable to think she helped quite a bit with getting the ark ready for the flood. Although she could have been quite advanced in age compared to our standards, she was probably quite active and fit.

What Was Her Name?

The Bible does not mention her by name, so we cannot know for certain, but this has not stopped people from speculating. The most common name given to her is Naamah, which is taken from Genesis 4:22. This guess is reflected in some ancient books outside of the Bible. Another popular name found in ancient writings is Emzara.

She is called Emzara in the ancient Jewish writing known as the Book of Jubilees (not found in the Bible). This name probably means “ancestor of Sarah,” and it connects her to Abraham’s wife Sarah.

What Does the Bible Say About Noah’s Wife?

The five times she is specifically mentioned (Genesis 6:18; 7:7, 13; 8:16, 18), she is merely referred to as “Noah's wife.” The rest we must take from what we know about her being on the ark and the matriarch of the small family that would repopulate the entire world.

Other Stories about Noah’s Wife

Several ancient Jewish texts not included in the canon of Scripture have other details about her. But sadly, none of these are inspired or even necessarily reliable sources.

So while we can’t know exactly what Noah’s wife did, how she looked, or what her name was, start planning your visit to the Ark Encounter and see how our team has depicted her using some artistic license based on the one reliable source we have—the Bible, of course!