and fetched from thence gold four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon; which according to Brerewood amounted to 1,890,000 pounds of our money; and according to another writer 5,132,400 ducats of gold.
Abarbinel says a talent of gold was equal to 12,300 Venetian ducats; in 2Ch 8:18 it is said, that four hundred and fifty talents of gold were brought to Solomon; perhaps thirty might be expended in the voyage, or paid to Hiram's servants for their wages, as some Jewish writers observe; or in the bulk or ore it might be four hundred and fifty talents, but when purified only four hundred and twenty, as Grotius remarks; either way removes the difficulty; though some think different voyages are respected here and there; of the gold of Ophir frequent mention is made in Scripture.
Erasm. Schmid. de America, orat. ad Cale. Pindar. p. 261. So some Jewish writers say it is the new world, Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 10. 1. P. Martyr Decad. 1. l. 1. Harris's Voyages, ut supra.
(vol. 1. B. 1. ch. 2. sect. 3. p. 377.) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 4.) China Illustrat. cum Monument. p. 58. & Prodrom. Copt. c. 4. p. 119. Comment. de Ophyra. Dampier's Voyages, vol. 2. ch.
7. Dissert. de Ophir, sect. 6, 7. De Ponder. & Pret. c. 5. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p. 572.