Places in the Bible Today:

Caphtor

Data

Translated NamesCaphthorim, Caphtor, Caphtorim, Caphtorims, Caphtorites, Crete
Typesisland or region
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

6 Possible Identifications

  1. another name for Crete (ancient): 75% confidence

    1. shoreline panorama of CreteCrete

  2. another name for Cilicia (ancient): less than 10% confidence

    1. panorama of hills in CiliciaCilicia

  3. another name for Cappadocia (ancient): less than 10% confidence

    1. panorama of cliffs in CappadociaCappadocia

  4. another name for Cyprus (ancient): less than 10% confidence

    1. panorama of the coast of CyprusCyprus

  5. Aegean Islands (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. Samothrace in the Aegean IslandsAegean Islands

  6. Karpathos (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. panorama of a natural area on KarpathosKarpathos

Verses (5)

Gen-Deut (2)
Gen 10:14
Deut 2:23
1Sam-Esth (1)
1Chr 1:12
Job-Mal (2)
Jer 47:4
Amos 9:7

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Logos FactbookCaphtor
OpenBible.info (2007)Caphtor
OpenBible.infoa329990 (Caphtor)
TIPNRCrete@Deu.2.23
UBS Names Databaseot ID_1593
WikidataQ1728546

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Caphtor (person)
  2. Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (1990): Caphtor
  3. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): Caphtor
  4. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): Caphtor
  5. Carta Bible Atlas, 5th Edition (2011)
  6. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (2008-2012): Gen 10:14
  7. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): Caphtor
  8. Expositor’s Bible Commentary (1984): Jer 47:4 note; Judg 3:3-4; 1Chr 1:12-16; Jer 47:4 note
  9. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Caphtor
  10. Hamilton, Genesis (1995): 10:13-14
  11. Hammond Atlas of the Bible Lands (2007): Caphtor
  12. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (2011)
  13. HarperCollins Concise Atlas of the Bible (1991)
  14. Hartley, Genesis (2000): 10:13-14 note
  15. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  16. Holman Illustrated Guide to Bible Geography (2020): page 97
  17. IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (2000): Deut 2:23; Jer 47:4; Jer 47:4
  18. Kidner, Genesis (1967): 10:12
  19. Matthews, Genesis (1996, 2005): 10:13-14
  20. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2014): Caphtor
  21. New Bible Atlas (1985): Caphtor
  22. New Bible Dictionary (1996): Caphtor
  23. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  24. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988): Caphtor
  25. Oxford Bible Atlas, Fourth Edition (2007)
  26. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001): Caphtor, Caphtorim, Caphtorites
  27. Waltke and Fredricks, Genesis (2001): 10:14
  28. Wenham, Genesis (1987, 1994): 10:14
  29. Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956): Caphtor
  30. Woudstra, Joshua (1981): 13:2
  31. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Caphtor, Caphtorim
  32. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  33. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)
  34. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (2009): Deut 2:23; Deut 2:23; Jer 47:4; Jer 47:4
  35. Zondervan Pictorial Bible Atlas (1972): page 62

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others (in this case, another name for Crete), then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Thumbnail Image Credits

Jebulon, Volker Höhfeld, Benh LIEU SONG, Deensel, DocWoKav, Konstantin737

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.

The isobands you see on the map (gray areas with dark borders) attempt to give you confidence where a region is. Because many ancient regions aren't precisely defined, I consulted atlases to determine where the biblical region is located and used that data to build the isobands. The smaller isobands reflect more confidence that the given isoband is in the region, while the larger isobands reflect less confidence. Isobands are a kind of contour line that here indicate confidence levels.