Bible Locations

Sephar appears in Genesis 10:30, in the Table of Nations, describing where the descendants of Joktan lived: "The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country." Joktan's sons included Sheba, Ophir and Havilah, names linked with Arabia, so Sephar was probably in southern Arabia. Many scholars identify it with Zafar, an ancient city in the highlands of Yemen, about 80 miles south of Sana'a, which was the capital of the Himyarite kingdom from about 100 BC to AD 525. Excavations at Zafar have found a large relief carving, rock-cut rooms and Himyarite inscriptions. Others suggest Dhofar, a region on the southern coast of Oman, famous for frankincense. The "eastern hill country" fits the mountains of southern Arabia. Its exact identification remains uncertain.