Bible Dictionary
Apes
Apes were exotic animals imported during Solomon’s prosperous reign, along with gold, silver, ivory, and peacocks. They probably came from distant regions such as India or Africa.
Definition
Apes were exotic animals imported during Solomon’s prosperous reign. They were brought together with gold, silver, ivory, and peacocks as evidence of the wealth and international reach of his trading arrangements.
Biblical Usage
The biblical references to apes occur in the parallel accounts describing the goods brought to Solomon.
Historical Background
The sources associate the apes with the same distant region that supplied ivory and peacocks, especially Ceylon, and note similarities between Tamil names and the Hebrew terms.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(Heb. kophim) are mentioned in (1 Kings 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.