Caphtor

Caphtor (Hebrew: כַּפְתּוֹר‎ Kaftōr) is a locality mentioned in the Bible, in which its people are called Caphtorites or Caphtorim and are named as a division of the ancient Egyptians.^[1] Caphtor is also mentioned in ancient inscriptions from Egypt, Mari, and Ugarit.

According to the Bible, Caphtor is the original homeland of the Philistines. They are reported to have eradicated the Avvim prior to settling in Gaza. Genealogically, the Philistines are categorized as descendants of the Caphtorites within the table of nations. The Book of Jeremiah suggests that Caphtor is an island ("the isle of Caphtor"), but the term might alternatively refer to a seashore.^[2]

Traditionally, Caphtor has been linked to Crete and associated with Egyptian Keftiu or Akkadian Kaptara.^[2]^[3] Jewish sources placed Caphtor in the region of Pelusium. Contemporary research has challenged the link with Crete, proposing alternative locations such as Cyprus or Cilicia.^[3]^[2]

^ Genesis 10:13-14
^ ^a ^b ^c Lemche, Niels Peter (2004). Historical dictionary of ancient Israel. Historical dictionaries of ancient civilizations and historical eras. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. pp. 89–90. ISBN 978-0-8108-4848-1.
^ ^a ^b Strange, J. Caphtor/Keftiu: A New Investigation (Leiden: Brill) 1980

[1] Genesis 10:13-14

[:02-2] Lemche, Niels Peter (2004). Historical dictionary of ancient Israel. Historical dictionaries of ancient civilizations and historical eras. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. pp. 89–90. ISBN 978-0-8108-4848-1.

[Strange-3] Strange, J. Caphtor/Keftiu: A New Investigation (Leiden: Brill) 1980

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