Bible Location
Meaning: a sphere · 3 cross references · Modern-day map available
Caphtor was the ancient homeland associated with the Philistines. It is important because prophets use it to speak about the origins and movements of peoples under God's direction. First appears in Deut 2:23.1
Place meaning
a sphere
Coordinates
35.17, 25.01
First appears
Deut 2:23
AI summary: Caphtor is significant because it pushes the biblical story of the Philistines further back than their conflicts in Canaan. Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and Amos use it as an origin-point, showing that the same God who moved Israel also governs the migrations of other nations. The cross references present Caphtor as a remembered homeland of Philistine origins and divine oversight over the nations.1
Place meaning
a sphere
Latitude
35.17
Longitude
25.01
Bible references
3
A chaplet, the original seat of the Philistines (Deut. 2:23; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7). The name is found written in hieroglyphics in the temple of Kom Ombos in Upper Egypt. But the exact situation of Caphtor is unknown, though it is supposed to be Crete, since the Philistines seem to be meant by the “Cherethites” in 1 Sam. 30:14 (see also 2 Sam. 8:18). It may, however, have been a part of Egypt, the Caphtur in the north Delta, since the Caphtorim were of the same race as the Mizraite people (Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12). 3
Source note: this 1893 dictionary language reflects its period and may be culturally insensitive or outdated. It is presented as historical source material, not as ai-BIBLE’s language, interpretation, or endorsement.
AI-assisted summary prepared for ai-BIBLE and stored as page content, based on dictionary material, place metadata, and linked Bible cross references.
Alistair de Blacquiere-Clarkson, “ai-BIBLE Bible Names JSON Factsheet Aggregating Material from Smith’s Bible Dictionary & Hitcocks’s New and Complete Analysis of the Bible.” ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
M.G.Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
Robert Rouse, “Theographic Bible Information,” Theographic-Bible-Metadata, 2020, https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata.