Editing Caphtor (section)

{{Short description|Biblical nation}}
[[File:Noahsworld map Version2.png|thumb|300px|right|One reconstruction of the [[Generations of Noah]], placing the "Caphthorim" on [[Ancient Crete]].]]
'''Caphtor''' ({{langx|he|{{script/Hebrew|כַּפְתּוֹר}}}} ''Kaftōr'') is a locality mentioned in the [[Bible]], in which its people are called '''Caphtorites''' or '''Caphtorim''' and are named as a division of the ancient Egyptians.<ref>Genesis 10:13-14</ref> Caphtor is also mentioned in ancient inscriptions from [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]], [[Mari, Syria|Mari]], and [[Ugarit]].

According to the Bible, Caphtor is the original homeland of the Philistines. They are reported to have eradicated the [[Avvim]] prior to settling in Gaza. Genealogically, the Philistines are categorized as descendants of the Caphtorites within the table of nations. The Book of Jeremiah suggests that Caphtor is an island ("the isle of Caphtor"), but the term might alternatively refer to a seashore.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Lemche |first=Niels Peter |title=Historical dictionary of ancient Israel |date=2004 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-4848-1 |series=Historical dictionaries of ancient civilizations and historical eras |location=Lanham, Md. |pages=89–90 |quote=}}</ref>

Traditionally, Caphtor has been linked to [[Crete]] and associated with Egyptian ''[[Keftiu language|Keftiu]]'' or Akkadian ''Kaptara''.<ref name=":02" /><ref name="Strange">Strange, J. ''Caphtor/Keftiu: A New Investigation'' (Leiden: Brill) 1980</ref> Jewish sources placed Caphtor in the region of [[Pelusium]]. Contemporary research has challenged the link with Crete, proposing alternative locations such as [[Cyprus]] or [[Cilicia]].<ref name="Strange" /><ref name=":02" />