Hebrew word · H3731

כַּפְתּוֹר

khaftor

Caphtor

A place name for the Philistines' homeland across the sea. Most scholars identify it with Crete, or more loosely the Aegean world.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

§ Caphtor = "a crown"

the original home of the Philistines, perhaps on the southwest coast of Asia Minor, maybe in Egypt or close by, or more probably on the island of Crete

(TWOT) the island of Crete, homeland or staging area of the Philistines

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Amos 9:7

Range of meaning

A place name for the Philistines' homeland across the sea. Most scholars identify it with Crete, or more loosely the Aegean world.

Against the English

English versions simply transliterate it as 'Caphtor'. The Septuagint and Targum read 'Cappadocia' in Asia Minor, which most scholars now consider a mistaken identification.

Used elsewhere in the period

Egyptian 'Keftiu' and Akkadian 'Kaptara' (in the Mari texts) refer to Crete or the Aegean. Deuteronomy 2:23 says the 'Caphtorim' came from Caphtor, and Jeremiah 47:4 calls the Philistines 'the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor'. Archaeology links the Philistines to the 'Sea Peoples' who settled the southern Levant coast in the 12th century BC, with Aegean-style pottery and customs.

From the study of Jeremiah 47:4

Range of meaning

A place name for the land the Philistines came from (Gen 10:14; Deut 2:23; Amos 9:7).

Against the English

KJV has 'the country of Caphtor', WEB and YLT 'the isle of Caphtor', BSB 'the coasts of Caphtor'. Some modern versions add a footnote saying 'Crete'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Akkadian Kaptara (in the Mari letters, 18th century BC) and Egyptian Keftiu (in tomb paintings showing Aegean-looking tribute bearers) are usually identified with Crete or the Minoan-Aegean world. Archaeology supports an Aegean link for the early Philistines: Aegean-style pottery, hearths and diet appear at Ashdod, Ekron and Ashkelon in the 12th century BC, and a 2019 ancient-DNA study from Ashkelon found a burst of southern-European ancestry in the early Iron Age.

Where it appears

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 2:23 מִכַּפְתּ֔וֹר from Caphtor

    And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, were destroyed by the Caphtorites, who came out of Caphtor and settled in their place.)

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 47:4 כַפְתּֽוֹר׃ Caphtor

    For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every remaining ally. Indeed, the LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.

    Here: The Philistines' remembered homeland (Amos 9:7; Deut 2:23). Most likely Crete or the Aegean world more broadly. Naming it reminds hearers that the Philistines came from overseas.

Amos · 1

  1. Amos 9:7 מִכַּפְתּ֖וֹר from Caphtor

    “Are you not like the Cushites to Me, O children of Israel?” declares the LORD. “Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?

    Here: The Philistines' remembered homeland, almost certainly Crete or the wider Aegean world (compare Deuteronomy 2:23 and Jeremiah 47:4). Yahweh claims to have steered their migration as well.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.