Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>]

Mr. Kirk asked about the Phasin which I suggested might be related to the
Pishon. Today it is called the Rioni, and it joins the Black Sea at the town
of Phasis near modern Poti. Some viewers may be more familiar with this
river as the Phasis, but Phasin is an alternate rendering in Greek.

Mr. Kirk is quite right about Islamic traditions associating the garden of
Eden with the vicinity of Aden in the Yemen. Jewish traditions (Yemeni Jews)
make the same association. The Arabs will show you Cain and Abel's graves in
Aden ! Some later Jewish traditions claimed that if Eden lay in Arabia, then
its entrance would be Beth-Gerim, modern Yarim, in the province of Ibb, this
province being called al Akhdar Yemen (the Green Yemen), because of its
fruitfulness and bountiful crops nourished by the monsoons which sweep in
off the ocean.

Those who have access to the Oxford Bible Atlas, can find Aden listed as
Eden, alluding to Ez. 27:23 (cf. p.67, "Israel and Ancient Trade Routes,"
Herbert G. May, Oxford Bible Atlas, 1983).

The Jewish version of the Bible, the Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society,
Philadelphia, 1988, year since the of the Creation of the world 5,748)
renders Ez. 27:23 thusly:

"Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria and Chilmad traded
with you."   This association of Eden with Sheba is challenged by some
scholars, nevertheless, at some point in time during the texts'
transmission, someone evidently understood that a place called Eden lay in
Sheba. Sheba is famous for its trade in gold, precious stones, frankincense
and myrrh in the Bible, and the Pseudepigrapha associated these products
with the Garden of Eden and vicinity.  So, the Jewish associations of Eden
with South Arabia and its products goes back to the 2nd century BCE through
3rd century CE, and has been kept alive even today by the Yemeni Jews.

Of course there were other places besides South Arabia that were suggested
by the Jewish commentators. My research on Eden suggests that underlying the
story is the Epic of Gilgamesh and its mythical Dilmun, a paradise on earth
set aside for the righteous flood hero Utnaspishtim. Dilmun is described as
lying at the mouth of the rivers, suggesting for me, the marshlands south of
the Tigris and Euphrates harbored this make-believe island.  Ezekiel seems
to suggest Eden is in the Lebanon, while Genesis' mention of the Pishon and
the land of Havilah and its gold, suggests Arabia. Sabaean texts mention
Haulan in the northern Yemen, suggesting Havilah for some, while the
classical port of Avalites in Ethiopia is preferred by others. Sheba is
believed to have extended its territories across the straits into Ethiopia
so this may account for conflicting proposals.  The only proven gold source
in Arabia is Mahd ed Dahab, "the Cradle of Gold", to the east of Medina,
where a gold mine is operating even today. Ophir has been identified with
the Afar of Ethiopia (called Danakil by the Arabs), and the Mahd ed Dahab
area, or the seacoast near it.

For the Hebrews the gold of Ophir was the finest, it being evidently stones
or pebbles not gold dust (cf. Job 22:24). The Greeks raved about the
"apyros" gold of Arabia. Apyros means "fireless", that is the gold was in
pebble form, it did not need to smelted from a gold dust form to solidify it
into a workable shape. I wonder if there might be a relationship here ophir
and apyros ?

All the best,

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany