Answers about…
elephants and the Bible

This animal is not specifically mentioned in Scripture, however its tusks are. Ivory was imported from afar into the land of Israel.

Archaeologists discovered a mosaic in an ancient synagogue that depicted an elephant and various other animals. This was found in excavations in the ancient Jewish village of Hukkok (mentioned in Joshua 19:34) (aka Huqoq and Hukok) in Lower Galilee.

King Solomon regularly imported ivory into his kingdom.

“For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, silver and apes and peacocks.” —1 Kings 10:22

“…[Solomon] made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined gold.” —1 Kings 10:18 excerpt

Original language words

Greek: ἐλεφάντινος —transliteration: elephantinos —translated “of ivory” in Revelation 18:12

Hebrew: שֶׁנְהַבֵּים —transliteration: shenhabbim or shenhabim —meaning: ivory or ivory tusk or “tooth of elephant” 1 Kings 10:22 and 2 Chronciles 9:21