OPHIR, an unidentified region famous in Old Testament times for its fine gold. Solomon's Tyrian sailors brought its gold for that monarch. The geographical list of Genesis X. associates it with Sheba and Havilah, the latter also being a recognized gold bearing region (Gen. ii. 1). Solomon's ships set forth from Ezion-Geber at the head of the Gulf of Akaba. Presumably then it lay somewhat to the south of Suez, but where? (I) East Africa.—The extensive and imposing ruins discovered at Zimbabwe in Mashonaland, about 200M. inland from Sofala, have been acclaimed as marking the site of long lost Ophir. But careful investigation has resulted in depriving the ruins of any claim to great antiquity. An identification with Zanzibar has been suggested.
(2) The Far East.—The fact that three years were occupied in the voyage to Ophir (I Ki. x. 2 2) as well as the nature of the cargoes (gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks) suggests a distant voyage, although attempts have been made to minimize these arguments. The Indus delta; Johore; Supara in Goa; Farther India; Malabar; Malacca; Sumatra have all been adduced.
(3) Abyssinia.—The territory on the Abyssinian coast from ancient Adulis to Bab-el-Mandeb whose inhabitants call them selves Aphar.
(4) Arabia.—The most common and, indeed, the most plausible view is that Ophir was somewhere in Arabia. It has been sought in West Arabia at Asyr between the Hejaz and Yemen; but the view that it is some district on the southern coast appears the most atractive.
The lack of sufficient data for identification has given and no doubt will continue to give scope for imagination. There have not been wanting wild and fanciful surmisings. Spain, Armenia, Phrygia and even Peru have had their advocates. (E. Ro.) OPHITES. Strictly speaking, this is the name given to an obscure sect of Gnostics, of which our knowledge is derived mainly from Origen (Contra Celsum, vi. 25) supplemented by Irenaeus (Adv. Haer., i. 3o) and Epiphanius (Haer., xxxviii); but the more important use of the term is as the comprehensive name for a group of Gnostic sects which resemble one another, first, because no name of any personal founder or leading teacher is associated with any of them ; and further, because they attach religious importance to the serpent. The type of mythology may be illustrated from the account of Irenaeus. It begins with a triad, the highest deity, described as "primal Man"; intellect or reason, his Son, the "second Man"; and the Spirit, introduced as a female principle. Through her the Christ is begotten as
"third Man." Christ ascended, with the Spirit, but in their ascent a ray of light fell on the waters. This was Sophia (pru dence or wisdom) and from this contact came Ialdabaoth the "demiurge." He in turn produced six powers, and (from the dregs of matter) the serpent. Ialdabaoth then announced himself as the supreme Being; and when man (created by the six pow ers) gave thanks not to Ialdabaoth but to the primal Man, the former created a woman (Eve) to destroy him. Then Sophia sent the serpent (as benefactor) to persuade Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge and so break the commandment of Ialda baoth, who banished them from paradise to earth. After a long war between mankind, aided by Sophia, and Ialdabaoth (this is the inner meaning of the Old Testament story), the Spirit sent the Christ to earth to enter the pure vessel, the virgin-born Jesus. Jesus Christ worked miracles and declared himself the Son of the primal Man. Ialdabaoth instigated the Jews to kill him, but only Jesus died on the cross, for Christ had departed from him. Christ then raised the spiritual body of Jesus, which remained on earth for 18 months, initiating a small circle of elect disciples. This form of Ophitism is Christianized to a larger extent than others of the kindred sects, in most of which the Christian element is slighter and less essential. They are also far less impregnated with Greek philosophy than the "classic systems of Gnosticism"; and the early sources warrant the inference that the mythology itself is only a covering for observances (ritual, initiation, secret pass-words, incantations) characteristic of mystery-religions. Notwithstanding the conclusion based by De Faye on his in structive investigations, the prevalent view holds the field, namely, that Ophitism represents a primitive phase of Gnosticism, which was gradually developed and transformed into various great specu lative systems by a series of historic teachers.