Overview
Ophir was a distant land famed above all for its gold, the destination of Solomon's sea-trade. Its exact location was lost to memory even in antiquity.
The gold of Ophir
Solomon's fleet, manned by Hiram's sailors from Ezion-geber, "came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon" (1 Kings 9:28). With it came almug wood and precious stones (1 Kings 10:11).
A byword for the finest gold
"The gold of Ophir" became proverbial for the purest, most precious gold: the queen stood "in gold of Ophir" (Psalm 45:9), and wisdom is worth more than it (Job 28:16).
A failed venture
Long after Solomon, King Jehoshaphat tried to revive the Ophir trade, but his ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber and never sailed (1 Kings 22:48).
Events Here
Solomon's fleet brings gold from Ophir
Scripture References
12 versesGenesis1 verse
Genesis 10:29
And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
1 Kings3 verses
1 Kings 9:28
And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
1 Kings 10:11
And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
1 Kings 22:48
Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber. made: or, had ten ships
1 Chronicles2 verses
1 Chronicles 1:23
And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
1 Chronicles 29:4
Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:
2 Chronicles2 verses
2 Chronicles 8:18
And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
2 Chronicles 9:10
And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.
Job2 verses
Psalms1 verse
Psalms 45:9
Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
Isaiah1 verse
Isaiah 13:12
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
Archaeology & History
Ophir's location is unknown and much debated — proposals range across south-west Arabia, the Horn of Africa, and the coasts of India, all reachable by Red Sea shipping from Ezion-geber. A first-century ostracon from Israel even reads "gold of Ophir," confirming the phrase's currency, but the land itself remains unidentified.
People who appear here
Frequently asked about Ophir
Where is Ophir today?
Today, Ophir corresponds to Location unknown.
What happened at Ophir in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Ophir include solomon's fleet brings gold from ophir.
Where is Ophir first mentioned in the Bible?
Ophir is first mentioned in Genesis 10:29.
How often is Ophir mentioned in the Bible?
Ophir is mentioned in 12 verses across 7 books: Genesis, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Job, Psalms, Isaiah.
What was Ophir famous for?
Its gold. Solomon’s fleet brought back vast quantities of "gold of Ophir," which became a byword for the finest gold in the Bible.
Where was Ophir?
Unknown — it was a distant land reached by Red Sea voyage, variously placed in Arabia, Africa, or India. No location is certain.