About

Assaf Avraham (Shazar Center for Jewish History)

Assaf@shazar.org.il

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Dr. Assaf Avraham is the Head of the Research and Education Division at the Shazar Center for Jewish History. He holds a Ph.D. in Archaeology from Bar-Ilan University.

His research focuses on the development of construction methods in the Southern Levant during the Bronze and Iron Ages, with a particular interest in the influence of surrounding cultures, including those from the Indian Ocean sphere.

Lecture Abstract:
The biblical account describes extensive maritime expeditions departing from Ezion-Geber—located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, near the modern city of Eilat—during the reign of King Solomon, reaching the land of Ophir. Traditionally, Ophir has been identified within the Indian Subcontinent. This lecture seeks to re-evaluate this identification by integrating biblical narratives with recent archaeological data from the Southern Levant, Egypt, and Assyria during the Iron Age. The discussion presents a synthesis of findings that substantiate the existence of a robust long-distance trade network between the Near East and the Indian Ocean as early as the 13th to 9th centuries BCE. Key evidence includes exotic botanical remains found in Israel and Egypt, alongside descriptions of exotic animals in Neo-Assyrian records and iconography. By correlating these diverse material remains with biblical descriptions of maritime commerce, the lecture demonstrates that the "Ophir expeditions" reflect a functional, historical commercial system. Finally, it is suggested that these ancient trade links provided the organizational and historical infrastructure that facilitated the later emergence and sustainability of Jewish communities in Southern Arabia and along India's Malabar Coast.

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