Imported once every three years in Solomon's and Hiram's Tarshish fleets (1Ki 10:22; 2Ch 9:21). Hebrew; quoph. The ape in Sanskrit is called kapi, "ramble;" Greek kepos, akin to English ape. Solomon, as a naturalist, collected specimens from various lands. Tarshish is identified by Sir Emerson Tennent with some Ceylon seaport; so the apes (quophim) brought to Solomon probably came from Ceylon, which abounds also in "ivory and peacocks." The Tamil names moreover, for "apes," "ivory," and "peacocks," are identical with the Hebrew. Others think Ophir was on the E. African coast; then the apes would be of Ethiopia.

(Heb. kophim) are mentioned in

1Ki 10:22

and 2Chr 9:21 There can be little doubt that the apes were brought from the same country which supplied ivory and peacocks, both of which are common in Ceylon; and Sir E. Tennent has drawn attention to the fact that the Tamil names for apes, ivory and peacocks are identical with the Hebrew.