Place Old Testament
Sephar
Sephar was a mountain in the east that marked the boundary of the territory settled by the descendants of Joktan (Gen. 10:30). Mentioned once in Scripture, at Genesis 10:30.
Why it matters. Boundary of the territory settled by Joktan's descendants
- Primary passages
- Location
- 14.550, 44.393 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Sephar
Sephar is mentioned in the Bible as part of the description of the territory settled by the descendants of Joktan, the son of Eber (Gen. 10:30). The text states that the territory extended "from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the hill country of the east." The exact location of Sephar is unknown, but it is described as a mountain in the eastern region. Some scholars suggest that Sephar may be associated with the ancient city of Zafar (or Dhofar) in modern-day Yemen, which was an important center of the incense trade in ancient times. However, this identification remains uncertain due to the limited information provided in the biblical text. The mention of Sephar in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) highlights the geographical spread of the descendants of Noah's sons and the development of various nations and people groups in the ancient Near East.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Genesis (1 verse)