Ape
“Possibly from Sanskrit kapi, meaning swift or active”
Summary
A member of the monkey tribe imported by Solomon's fleet from distant lands as exotic curiosities.
☩Solomon's Imports
Apes are mentioned only twice in Scripture, both times in connection with Solomon's trading expeditions. The fleet of Solomon and Hiram brought apes along with gold, silver, ivory, and peacocks once every three years from Ophir. The Hebrew word koph likely derives from the Sanskrit or Malabar kapi, meaning 'swift' or 'active,' suggesting the Hebrews received both the animal and its name from India. The exact species cannot be determined, but the term probably served as a general designation for various members of the quadrumanous order—including what we would now distinguish as monkeys, apes, and baboons.
☩Ancient Knowledge of Primates
The ancients were acquainted with several kinds of tailed and tailless apes, obtaining them from Ethiopia and India. Figures of apes appear in Egyptian art, including representations from the tomb of Thothmes III at Thebes showing primates among tributes from distant nations. Similar representations occur in recently discovered Assyrian sculptures, both in bas-reliefs and on an obelisk at Nimrud. In some cultures, apes were objects of worship—the Egyptians venerated them, and ape worship continues in parts of India.
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Ape," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Richard Watson, "Ape," in A Biblical and Theological Dictionary (John Mason, 1831).
- 3.John Kitto, "Ape," in A Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, vol. I (Mark H. Newman, 1845).