Proem

Let me greet everyone a belated Surapô (Christmas) and Madagayáong Bag-ong Tuig (Bountiful New Year).

Last issue I have shown that Spanish records say that the land of Ophir was a group of islands in front of China towards the sea. Only the Philippines could satisfy this description. In the Philippines the old trading centers were Mayi and Pulilu. Dr. Jose Rizal, whose martyrdom we will celebrate on December 30, said that Bo-ol or Bohol was Pulilu.

We will provide facts that will indicate Hebrew connections found in Bohol.

Did We Have Gold?

The ships of King Solomon brought back gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. Did ancient Bohol have these items? Except maybe for silver, Bohol had the other items.

In 1521, Antonio Pigafetta wrote that we had gold. Francisco Albo, the chief pilot of Magellan's fleet, said in 1522 that Panglao Island had plenty of ginger and gold. He did not say that there was a gold mine but merely mentioned that gold was plentiful in the area.

Father Juan de Torres said that when he visited the Talibon area, the hinterlands had plenty of gold mines or Minas de Talibon. Until today gold is still mined in the area.

Fr. Mariano Gutierrez de los Dolores, the Parish Priest of Jagna (1825-1855), reported to the Instituto de Biologia Marina de Santander (Spain), that there was a Las Minas de Jagna. If Las Minas de Talibon was a gold mine, what would then be the meaning of Las Minas de Jagna?

In the town of Dauis, Bohol there is a legend of a cache of gold buried at the Dayo Hill (now the location of Bohol Plaza Hotel). A few years ago (during the Incumbency of Mayor Joel Bomediano) I saw some enterprising people bringing sacks of soils during the night. Upon inquiry I discovered that they would go to the church plaza and excavate an equivalent amount of soil to be replaced by the soil they brought. They would then sift the excavated soil for gold. It must have been a profitable enterprise because they keep coming back until stopped by the authorities.

In Mansasa and Bo-ol, Tagbilaran there is a legend of the "golden bed" buried somewhere at Banat-I Hill.

Elephants, Apes, and Peacocks

Fr. Francisco Alcina recorded in 1668 that there were elephants in the Visayas. He said that the elephants were as large as the tamaraw. A few years ago, I actually saw a molar of an elephant found in a cave at upper Baclayon. Today, this small size elephant is called "elephas". Therefore, if elephas existed in Bohol, then there would be ivories, which are the tusks of the elephants.

Large monkeys called aliwas existed in Bohol. I am not sure whether they were apes.

However, I am sure that the kuwagò or howler monkey no longer exists in Bohol. They were also large monkeys.

I am not sure whether peacocks as they are presently defined, existed in Bohol.

However, Fr. Gutierrez of Jagna reported in 1850 that Birds of Paradise existed in the mountain of Jagna, Bohol. Birds of Paradise are beautiful birds that could be mistaken as a peacock. (Note: The original Hebrew word was not properly understood that it is even translated as "baboon".)

Linguistic Connection

The literature of the Eskaya of Bohol says that they came from the western part of Sumatra. At the time of the rise of the Sri Visayan Empire in Indonesia, the Eskaya, who were of Jewish belief had no other choice but to leave the Buddhistic power of Sumatra and go to a place they were familiar - Ophir.

The Eskaya script used in writing are very similar to Phoenician and Etruscan script. It is different from the Mangyan script, which is of Indonesian origin.

The Eskaya system of beliefs and literature has strong mixture of Hebrews Kaballah.

The Hebrew Kaballah secret language called Temurah is still practiced in Bohol and now called Timori.

Language as Proof

The etymology of existing words would show the connection to the civilization where the word originated. There are many Boholano Bisayan words that are of Hebrew origin.

Examples: In Hebrew, LAK means to hunt; to leave the house. From LAK we obtained "lakang = step"; "lakaw = walk"; "laktod = short cut path". Because a man always go out to hunt, we have "laki = man".

In Hebrew, BAYT means house. From BAYT we obtained "bay = house", and "baye = woman". If a man always stay in the house he is a "bayot = effeminate". From the Hebrew LEQOT or LIQQET," which means gather, we have "lúkot = roll up"; "likit = roll into small size", and "lúko = to curl oneself".

An Ophir?

I would not say that Bo-ol or Bohol was the land of Ophir. I would venture to say only that Bo-ol was among the places in Ophir or part of the larger Ophir where gold, etc. was obtained by King Solomon's fleet.

The old center of civilization of Bohol is the present day Bo-ol and Mansasâ Tagbilaran City and Dauis, Bohol.

Now here is something to tickle your imagination. Consider the Hebrew word BOHAN, which means testing stone; a touchstone for testing gold. How will it strike you if we make the meaning of BOHOL similar to BOHAN and say that BOHOL means a place for testing and processing gold? Anyway, nobody is really sure what the meaning of Bohol is.

Come to think of it, where did the people of Dauis, Bohol learned their ability to process or make jewelries of gold and other materials? Why is it that in spite of many attempts to practice in the open, the people still practice on the sly?

The ability of the people of Dauis is very old. A few years ago, Mr. Nicasio Bolos Jr., the Barangay Captain of Biking, Dauis discovered an ancient lapidary at the sands of Bikini Beach. I have in my position the whole gamut of materials from raw, to semi-finish, to finish products. The same finished products were also found in our excavation at Cabisi, Ubujan, Tagbilaran City. The Cabisi excavation site could be dated to 700 A.D.

So there is a strong possibility that Bo-ol (Bohol) was part of the network of gold suppliers called Ophir where gold was processed and where the Lequios, Chinese, and Moluccans met to trade.

Could you imagine that ancient Boholanos helped build King Solomon's Temple?