The mysterious country of Ophir: where did King Solomon bring gold

The third king of the kingdom of Israel, the legendary Solomon began to rule in 970 BC. Under him, the Jewish state turned into a respected superpower of the Middle East. He went down in history as a wise ruler.

In terms of modern money, historians have calculated that King Solomon’s fortune is estimated at $ 60 trillion. Most of it was a gold reserve. Approximate weight - 500 tons.

Gold made cups, shields, swords, plates. Decorations of the temple of Solomon, built in the 10th century BC, were also made of this metal. The throne of King Solomon was carved from ivory and shone with gold. A golden foot led to him, on which there were a dozen life-size lions.

Unfortunately, the Bible did not give clear clues about where the mysterious country of Ophir is located. Not a single chapter contains descriptions of the mines of Solomon. Historians suggest that the Jewish king mined gold there along with Hiram I. He ruled Tire, which was supposedly located on the territory of modern Lebanon.

Under him, the state reached its peak. He built new temples, restored ancient shrines, created a guard bastion for Phenicia. The Phoenicians traveled a lot, built several fortresses throughout the Mediterranean, conducted extensive trade, reaching the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Since the field of activity of the Phoenicians is vast, the location of the mysterious Ophir can be anywhere.

There are several theories. Copper mines have been discovered by archaeologists in Israel and Jordan. Despite the fact that some experts claim that this is the sought-after mines of King Solomon, nevertheless there is no unequivocal conclusive evidence.

Tom Lopez, chronicler of the famous traveler Vasco de Gama, believed that Ophir was an ancient state called the Great Zimbabwe. The reasons for this assumption appeared in connection with the fact that during the Renaissance there was a center of gold trade. Archaeologists believe that during the time of Solomon this region was not developed.

Other scholars suggest that Ophir was on the shores of the Red Sea. Perhaps in Ethiopia. There lived a tribe of Afar.

There is a point of view that the magical country was in Tunisia, where the people of Africa lived.

In Asia, the Dravids, another candidate for Ophir, were known for their precious stones and ivory. In antiquity, they were almost exclusive suppliers of sandalwood. Most historians support this particular option in search of a mysterious country. The fact is that some of the words of the Dravids are reflected in the Hebrew Bible.

An anonymous author of a Spanish book entitled, “A General Collection of Documents Associated with the Philippine Islands,” describes the method needed to search for Ophir. In the section "Document No. 98", written between 1519-1522, it is said that Ophir can be found by going first from Cape of Good Hope to India. From there to Burma, Sumatra, then to the Moluccas, Borneo, Sulu, and then to China. According to this statement, Ophir was in front of China at sea and occupied several islands. This assumption makes the Philippines the most viable option.

About 50 years after the publication of the General Collection of Documents, Benito Arias Montano suggested that the indigenous Peruvians were descendants of the Ophir tribe. He believed that the province of Yucatan shared the name with the father of Ophir Yoktan. Supporters of pre-Columbian ties between Eurasia and South America dispute the idea of ​​Peru in favor of Brazil.

All of these suggestions are truly based on the personal beliefs of the authors. There are several incontrovertible facts to support any claim. One of the few facts revealed on the pages of the Bible was that each journey to find Ophir began in the same place: in the port of the Red Sea of ​​Etzion-Hever. Not only gold came to Israel from Ophir.

Watch the video: Original Solomon's Gold Series - Part 1: Where is Ophir? Philippines? Sheba, Tarshish, Havilah (May 2024).