Ophir

In Genesis 10:29, Ophir was one of the sons of Joktan.

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Ophir is a port or region mentioned in the Bible that was 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.

Biblical scholars, archeologists and various other people have tried to determine the exact location of Ophir. Most modern scholars assume that it must have been somewhere in southwest Arabia in the region of modern Yemen. This is also the assumed location of Sheba. Another possibility is the African shore of the Red Sea.

Other assumptions vary as widely as theoretical locations of Atlantis. Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) mentions the connection to "Sofir," the Coptic name for India and a possible connection to Abhira, at the mouth of the Indus. Josephus connected it with the Golden Chersonese, i.e. the Malay peninsula.

Proponents of pre-Columbian connections between Eurasia and the Americas have also made their own suggestions including places like modern-day Peru.

Biblical references to Ophir: 1 Kings 9:28; 10:11; 22:48; 1 Chronicles 29:4; 2 Chronicles 8:18; Job 22:24; 28:16; Psalms 45:9; Isaiah 13:12.

Also referred to by John Masefield in his poem, "Cargoes."