Ophir (Hebrew: אוֹפִיר, Standard Ofir Tiberian ʾÔp̄îr) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon is supposed to have received a cargo of gold, silver, sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks from Ophir, every three years. “Hebrew” redirects here. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... Tiberian Hebrew is an oral tradition of pronunciation for ancient forms of Hebrew, especially the Hebrew of the Tanakh, that was given written form by masoretic scholars in the Jewish community at Tiberias in the early Middle Ages, beginning in the 8th century. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... It has been suggested that Sulayman be merged into this article or section. ... The branches of a young sandalwood tree found in Hawaii Sandalwood is the fragrant wood of trees in the genus Santalum. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Peacock re-directs here; for alternate uses see Peacock (disambiguation). ...

References

Biblical references to the land of Ophir are found in 1 Kings 9:28; 10:11; 22:49; 1 Chronicles 29:4; 2 Chronicles 8:18; Job 22:24; 28:16; Psalms 45:9; Isaiah 13:12.

Ofir is also known as a city in south Sinai.

—John Masefield, "Cargoes"

Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,

Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,

With a cargo of ivory,

And apes and peacocks,

Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.

John Masefield John Edward Masefield, OM, (1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967), was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate from 1930 until his death in 1967. ...

Location

Biblical scholars, archaeologists and others have tried to determine the exact location of Ophir. For instance, Vasco da Gama's companion Thomé Lopes reasoned that Ophir was the ancient name for Sofala in Mozambique, the main center of sub-African trade in gold. Although the identification of Ophir with Sofala was mentioned by Milton in Paradise Lost (11:399-401), among many other works of literature and science, it has since been discarded. Vasco da Gama Dom Vasco da Gama, 1st count da Vidigueira (IPA: (Sines or Vidigueira, Alentejo, Portugal, ca. ... Categories: Stub | Provinces of Mozambique ... For other persons named John Milton, see John Milton (disambiguation). ... Title page of the first edition (1667) Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. ...

In the 19th century Max Müller and other scholars identified Ophir with Abhira {see yadav}, at the mouth of the Indus River. Another possibility is the African shore of the Red Sea, with the name perhaps being derived from the Afar people of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. Most modern scholars still place Ophir either on the coast of India, in what is now Poovar, or somewhere in southwest Arabia in the region of modern Yemen. This is also the assumed location of Sheba. Max Müller Friedrich Max Müller (December 6, 1823 – October 28, 1900), more commonly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of Indian studies, who virtually created the discipline of comparative religion. ... Ahir (a corruption of the word Abhir, fearless) is a subgroup of the Yadav caste of India. ... Yadav (Sanskrit: यादव) is an Indian caste that claims descent from the clan of Yadu. ... Satellite image of the Indus River basin. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Afar (or Danakil) are a tribal people who reside principally in the Danakil Desert in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in Eritrea and Djibouti. ... Poovar is a small coastal village in Trivandrum district of Kerala state, south India. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Sheba (from the English transcription of the Hebrew name shva: שבא, and Saba, Arabic: سبأ, also Saba, Amharic: ሳባ) is a southern kingdom mentioned in the Jewish scriptures (Old Testament) and the Quran. ...

Other assumptions vary as widely as the theorized locations of Atlantis. Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) adds a connection to "Sofir," the Coptic name for India. Josephus connected it with "Cophen, an Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining to it," (Antiquities of the Jews I:6), sometimes associated with a part of Afghanistan. Proponents of pre-Columbian connections between Eurasia and the Americas have suggested even more distant locations such as modern-day Peru. Author on topics in alternative history David Hatcher Childress goes so far as to suggest that Ophir was located in Australia; proposing that the cargoes of gold, silver and precious stones were obtained from mines in the continent's north-west, and that ivory, sandalwood and peacocks were obtained in South Asia on the voyage back to Canaan.^[1] Picture of Platos description of Atlantis Atlantis (Greek: , Island of Atlas) is the name of a legendary island first mentioned in Platos dialogues Timaeus and Critias. ... Eastons Bible Dictionary generally refers to the Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, by Matthew George Easton M.A., D.D. (1823-1894), published three years after Eastons death in 1897 by Thomas Nelson. ... The Coptic language is a direct descendant of the ancient Egyptian language which was once written in Egyptian hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic scripts. ... A fanciful representation of Flavius Josephus, in an engraving in William Whistons translation of his works Josephus (37 – sometime after 100 AD/CE)[1], who became known, in his capacity as a Roman citizen, as Flavius Josephus[2], was a 1st-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and... The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the Americas continent. ... Alternative history or alternate history can be: A history told from an alternative viewpoint, rather than from the view of imperialist, conqueror, or explorer. ... David Hatcher Childress is an author of books on topics in alternative history. ... Map of South Asia (see note on Kashmir). ... For other uses, see Canaan (disambiguation). ...

In fiction

Cover page of Hadon of Ancient Opar by Philip José Farmer.

Ophir is the subject of H. Rider Haggard's novel King Solomon's Mines, which places the lost city in South Africa. Image File history File linksMetadata Hadon_of_Ancient_Opar. ... Hadon of Ancient Opar by Philip José Farmer, DAW Books, 1974 Hadon of Ancient Opar is a 1974 fantasy novel by Philip José Farmer, first published in paperback by DAW Books. ... Philip José Farmer (born January 26, 1918) is an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. ... H. Rider Haggard, author Sir Henry Rider Haggard (June 22, 1856 – May 14, 1925), born in Norfolk, England, was a Victorian writer of adventure novels set in locations considered exotic by readers in his native England. ... King Solomons Mines, first published in 1885, is a perennially popular novel by the Victorian adventure writer and fabulist, H. Rider Haggard. ...

Ophir is also a kingdom in Robert Howard's Conan the Barbarian series of stories; see Hyborian Age for more information. Robert William Howard aka Bob Hardcore Holly is a professional wrestler performing for World Wrestling Entertainment on the Smackdown! brand. ... Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet. ... An illustration of The Hyborian Age primarily based upon a map hand-drawn by Robert E. Howard in March 1932. ...

Several of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan novels happen in and around the lost city of Opar, deep in the African jungles — with Opar evidently being another name for Ophir. The city appears in The Return of Tarzan (1913), Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar (1916), Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1923), and Tarzan the Invincible (1930). Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan, although he also produced works in many genres. ... James H. Pierce and Joan Burroughs Pierce starred in the 1932-34 Tarzan radio series 1964 Edition of Tarzan of the Apes Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in twenty-three sequels. ... Fictional lost city in the Tarzan series of novels and films. ... The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, McClurg, 1915 The Return of Tarzan is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. ... Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. ... Tarzan and the Golden Lion is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. ... Tarzan the Invincible is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourteenth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. ...

Philip José Farmer took up the theme from the Tarzan books and wrote two books of his own, taking place in Opar at the height of its glory thousands of years ago: Hadon of Ancient Opar and Flight to Opar. Philip José Farmer (born January 26, 1918) is an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. ... Hadon of Ancient Opar by Philip José Farmer, DAW Books, 1974 Hadon of Ancient Opar is a 1974 fantasy novel by Philip José Farmer, first published in paperback by DAW Books. ... Flight to Opar by Philip José Farmer, DAW Books, 1976 Flight to Opar is a 1976 fantasy novel by Philip José Farmer, first published in paperback by DAW Books. ...

See also

• Tarshish, another Biblical location providing Solomon with riches.

Tarshish occurs in the Hebrew Bible with two meanings: One of the sons of Javan. ...

External links

• Onshore explorations at sopara and kalyan,India