Havilah

Havilah was both the name of possibly two places and of two persons in the OT.

Places:

As a place, Havilah is mentioned three times in the OT.

1. It appears first as the land through which the river Pishon flowed after it left Eden, and was renowned for its gold and "aromatic resin and onyx" (Gen 2:11-12).

2. One of the locations at which Ishmael's descendants settled: "from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go towards Asshur" (Gen 25:18). In the infamous battle in which Saul defeated the Amalekites but spared their king Agag, he had pursued them "all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt" (1 Sam 15:7). These two references would place Havilah in the vicinity of Sinai and NW Arabia. It is, however, difficult to decide—because the data is so sparse—if "the land of Havilah" of Gen 1 is to be identified in some ways with the later Havilah or if they refer, as most scholars suggest, to two different entities.

Persons:

The first person Havilah was the son of Cush and, from him, of Ham (Gen 10:6-7; 1 Chron 1:9) while the second was a descendant of Joktan, one of the sons of Shem (Gen 10:29; 1 Chron 1:23). Of both the OT has nothing else to say.

Concordance (NIV):

Gen 2:11 — "The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold."

Gen 10:7 — "The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan."

Gen 10:29 — "[Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. Joktan was the father of . . . .] Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

Gen 25:18— "[Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.] His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go towards Asshur. And they lived in hostility towards all their brothers.""

1 Sam 15:7 — "Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt."

1 Chron 1:9 — "The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan."

1 Chron 1:23 — "[Joktan was the father of . . . ] Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan."