Havila

According to the biblical text, the Fison River “ flows around the whole land of Havil, the one where gold is; and the gold of that land is good; there are boulders and an onyx stone ”( Genesis 2: 11-12 ).

Ancient and modern exegetes tried to identify the land of Havil with various countries in Asia , Africa and even Europe . The following assumptions were made:

• The Fison River is the Nile , and Havil is Ethiopia or Abyssinia ;
• Physon is the Phasis River, which flows into the Black Sea , and Havila - in Colchis , east of the Black Sea;
• Fison is the Kura River , originating in Armenia and flowing into the Caspian Sea , as well as the Araks River ; and that south of the Caucasus mountain range was Khavila; and if this is true, then the country of Havil partially corresponded to modern Georgia ;
• Havila is Ophir , who was placed either in India , then in Arabia or the land of the Somalis on the eastern coast of Africa.

As for the two other biblical references in Genesis. 25:18 and 1 Sam. 15: 7 , then the authors of BEAN claimed that here under the name Havila there was understood a different locality that was different from the one mentioned above.

1. The first quote indicates that the descendants of Ishmael lived from Havila to Surah , which is in front of Egypt , on the way to Assyria . The designated country was probably named after Havil, the son of Joktan , and perhaps the country was Havlotaev on the borders of Stony and Happy Arabia . She lay east of Shur (Bible ) and Egypt and towards Assyria.
2. From the second quotation it appears that the name of Havil denoted a city that was in the possession of the Amalekites , who were struck by Saul from Havila to the vicinity of Sura, which was before Egypt.

• Havila // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.