Ophir

Biblical origin of the Name Ophir

  • Book of Genesis 10:25 Eber has two sons, Peleg and Joktan.
  • Book of Genesis 10:26 Joktan has thirteen sons, and one is called Ophir.
  • The City, Port or country of Ophir was presumably named after him.

Biblical Reference

  • The Bible says that King Solomon received a cargo from Ophir every three years, consisting of Gold, Silver, Precious Gems, Sandalwood, Ivory, Apes and Peacocks.
  • In the Old Testament, Book of Kings I, 10:22, King Solomon and Hiram I of Tyre, returned together from Ophir with a cargo of Gold, precious gems and ‘Algum wood’. They arrived at the Red Sea port of Ezion-Geber, Idumea, (Edom) near Aqaba and Eilat.

Possible Location based on known Trade Routes

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea describes trade routes to the following areas:

  • Arabian Peninsular:
    • Yemen, Red Sea.
  • Africa:
    • Adulis, on the Red Sea coast of Ethiopia or Eritrea.
    • Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, which has Precious Gems.
    • Sofala, Mozambique which has Gold Fields.
  • Asia:
    • The Coast of Pakistan
    • The Coast of Southern India
    • Northern Sri Lanka

Possible Location based on the travel time

  • Both countries below have Gold deposits and fit the 3 year round trip description.
  • All the other destinations could have been done as a round trip in one or two years.
    • The Philippines.
    • The Solomon Islands.

Possible Location based on a Spanish Travel Itinerary from c.1522 CE.

  • A Spanish Travel Itinerary dating from 1519-1522, specifically states how to find Ophir.
  • It is in the ‘Coleccion general de documentos relativos a las islas Filipinas existentes en el Archivo de Indias de Sevilla, Tomo III, Document 98’. (General Archives of the Indies to Spain).
  • The Itinerary starts from the Cape of Good Hope to India, then Burma, Sumatra, the Moluccas, Borneo, Sulu and China.

Possible Location based on known Exports

  • ‘Gold, Ivory and Peacocks’:
    • Southern India and Sri Lanka, home of the Dravidians, was famous in the ancient world for having Gold, elephants and peacocks.
  • ‘Apes, Precious Gems and Silver’
    • Also, all found in Southern India.
  • ‘Sandalwood’ (also known as Aloes)
    • In the Ancient World Sandalwood came mostly from Southern India.
    • It was used in Ayurvedic medicine to tone the skin, during meditation and for Yoga. The Ancient Vedic writings of India record the use of Sandalwood.
    • It was also used by the Ancient Egyptians to embalm their dead.

However, a return journey from Egypt to India could be done in one year, whereas King Solomon received a cargo from Ophir every three years.

 

The Phillipines:

Get Directions Go to Visitor Map
800 BCE
Posted in .