The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t46.13

c6.s3.t46.13

In the Septuagint translation of the Bible, the Hebrew Ophir is always rendered by Sôphir. This spelling was perhaps adopted in deference to the Egyptian or Coptic name of Sofir. The earliest mention of the name is in the Book of Job, where the “gold of Ophir” is referred to as of the finest quality.† At a later date the ships of Huram, king of Tyre. “went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence 450 talents of gold, and brought them to King Solomon.”‡ The gold of Ophir is next referred to by Isaiah, who says, “I will make a man more precious than gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.”§ The word here translated ‘wedge’ means a ‘tongue, or ingot;’ and I infer that the wedge of gold of 50 shekels weight that was concealed by Achan,|| was most probably one of the ingots of Ophir.