The God Culture Philippines Biblical History Library

🔴 Large Red Text (Right of Cipangu)

German:
“dise jnsel zipangu ligt in orient der welt dass volk asn landt peth abgotter an. Jr konik ist niemand underthan in der Insel wechst ubertrefflich vil goldts auch edelgestein perlein oriental, diss schreibt marco polo von venedig im 3 buch.”

English Translation: (Ravenstein, click link)
“This island Zipangu lies in the east of the world. The inhabitants worship idols. The King is subject to no one. In the island is found exceeding much gold and likewise precious stones and pearls. This is stated by Marco Polo of Venice in his 3rd book.”

Japan is not historically known for gold in its ancient records—especially not prior to A.D. 749, according to leading Japanese scholars themselves. That’s nearly 1,700 years too late to fit the description of Zipangu.

In contrast, Columbus equated Zipangu with Ophir [Watch Video], and Pereira identified it as Chryse [Read Blog]. These are not isolated interpretations—multiple Japanese academics have raised similar concerns, including in publications such as Japan Today, which we examine inGarden of Eden Revealed: The Book of Maps. 

⚫ Central Black Label

German: 
“Cipangu do wachst vil gold.”

English Translation: (Ravenstein, click link)
“Cipangu where grows much gold.”

⚫ Middle-Left Label

German:
“Cipangu di edelfi und reichjl insel in oriente von fpecerei und edeljlein voll hot umfang bei 1,200 meilen.”

English Translation: (Ravenstein, click link)
“Cipangu is the most noble and richest island in the east, full of spices and precious stones. Its compass is 1,200 miles.”

The distance from Davao City to Laoag, Ilocos Norte is approximately 1,220 miles (Google: “Davao to Ilocos Norte in miles”). This measurement aligns not with Luzon alone, but with the full span of the Philippine archipelago.

Geographically, the Philippines extends from Tawi-Tawi at about 5°N to Batanes at approximately 22°N—squarely within the coordinate range associated with Zipangu on early maps like Toscanelli’s, which place it between roughly 7°N and 30°N. Not a single major Japanese island falls within this latitude range, while the entirety of the Philippines does.

If Zipangu were meant to describe Japan, it would necessarily include at least one significant island within those coordinates—but there are none. This reinforces the conclusion that such a description more accurately fits the Philippine archipelago.

🔺 Top Annotation on the Island (with trees)

German:
“Cipangu insula hat ein befondern konik und Jprach betetd apgotter an.”

English Translation: (Ravenstein, click link)
“The island Cipengu has a King and language of its own; the inhabitants worship idols.”

Top Labels: (Ravenstein, click link)

• Moscat nufwalt – Nutmeg forest

• Pfeffer walt – Pepper forest

Both Japan and the Philippines historically had kings and idol worship, so that alone is not distinctive. However, the spices named here are critical geographic markers.

Japan is known to have an endemic nutmeg species (Myristica japonica), but so does the Philippines—notably Myristica philippensis (duguan). Its oil shares a key component with M. fragrans: sabinene (21.38%), commonly associated with culinary nutmeg.

However, when it comes to white pepper, Japan fails the test. While Japan has pepper varieties, it does not grow the tropical white pepper referenced by Marco Polo as found in Zipangu. That variety thrives in equatorial climates like the Philippines. In fact, Pigafetta himself described white pepper upon arriving in the Philippines, confirming its presence and trade value there.

Thus, once again, Japan does not match the botanical profile of ancient Zipangu—while the Philippines does.

🔽 Bottom Annotation

German:

"in diser insul do wechsl gold und gewurz stauden."

English Translation: (Ravenstein, click link)
“In this island are found gold and shrubs yielding spices.”

📚 Marco Polo Reference (West of Cipangu)

Just below the Tropic of Cancer—within the coordinates of the Philippine archipelago—appears a critical inscription often misattributed or misunderstood by Ravenstein:

German:
"Marco polo schreibt uns im 3 buck am 38 capitel dass warlich die schiffleuth befunde feyen worden dass in disem jndianischen merr ligen mer dan 12,700 jnsula di bewont find und welichen findt vil mit edelgefiein perlein und mit golt pergen andere vol 12 lei specerey und wunderlichen volckh dauon lang zu schreiben Me findt man vil meerwundter von Serenen und ander fisschen. Vnd objemandt von diesen wunderlichen volckh und selzamen vischen im moer oder thieren auf dem erdreicli begert zu wijsen der less die biicher plini jfidori arifiotoless strabonis und fpecula vincenzi vil anderer lehrer mer."

English Translation: (Ravenstein, click link)
"Marco Polo in the 38th chapter of the 3rd book states that the mariners had verily found in this Indian Ocean more than 12,700 inhabited islands, many of which yield precious stones, pearls and mountains of gold, whilst others abound in twelve kinds of spices and curious peoples, concerning whom much might be written."

Here are found sea-monsters, such as Sirens and other fish. And if anyone desire to know more of these curious people, and peculiar fish in the sea or animals upon the land, let him read the books of Pliny, Isidor (of Seville), Aristotle, Strabo, the ‘ Specula ’ of Vincent (of Beauvais) and many others."

📌 Note:
Marco Polo’s original manuscripts reference 7,448 islands in the archipelago of Zipangu—far too many for Japan, which does not come close to this count. The expanded figure of 12,700 islands cited here (via Behaim) encompasses a broader Southeast Asian region, still excluding Japan but matching the Philippines and neighboring isles.

• The reference to “mountains of gold”, pearls, and precious stones echoes the onyx, gold, and bdellium of Genesis 2—found in Havilah, a land identified with the Philippines in numerous ancient sources.

• The spice varieties (12 types) reinforce this location’s role in the legendary Isles of Gold and Spices.

• The sirens and sea wonders align with Philippine folklore (e.g., sirena, kataw, berberoka), whereas Japan lacks such widespread indigenous sea-creature mythology.

Ancient scholars named—Pliny, Isidore of Seville, Aristotle, Strabo, and Vincent of Beauvais—all place their discussions of these marvels in the far East, and some—like Pliny and Isidore—directly place Chryse in the Philippine region.

Once again, the textual, geographical, and mythological evidence all converge—not on Japan—but on the Philippines as the true Zipangu, Chryse, and Ophir.

🧭 Mythical Wonders & Authorities

German: 

"die in diefen Jnfeln wonen habe fchwenz gleich die thier wie ptholomeu8 fchreibt in der ailfften tafel von afa (I 42 s)."

"do findt man von den wunderlichen leutten in den Jn/eln und auf dem moer von meer wundern und wa /elzamer thier auf erdreich und in den Jn/eln vo wiirzen und edelgefiein wachfen (M 7)."

English Translation: (Ravenstein, click link)
“Those who live in these islands have tails like animals, as described by Ptolemy on tab. XI. of Asia (lib. VIL, c. 2).”

"There he shall find accounts of the curious inhabitants, of the islands, the monsters of the ocean, the peculiar animals on the land and of the islands yielding spices and precious stones."

📌 Note:
Spanish missionary Fr. Francisco Colin and other early chroniclers documented Mindoro tribes with protrusions at the base of the spine—reportedly growing tails a few finger-lengths long. Whether literal, misunderstood, or symbolic, this description fits the legend cited and helps geographically anchor these “curious people” to the Philippines.

These accounts are said to occur in the “Sinus Magnus”—the China Sea—not the Indian Ocean. This confirms that Ptolemy’s Golden Isles were in Southeast Asia. Even Magellan himself corrected this, identifying the islands east of the Malay Peninsula—not in India or Africa.

Yet Ravenstein conspicuously avoids this correction. We will not.

Japan, on the other hand, has no corresponding historical legends, no ancient tales of tailed tribes, and no textual alignment with these descriptions.

The evidence remains clear: from myth to mineral, the Philippines—not Japan—matches the legendary islands described by Polo, Ptolemy, and the great encyclopedists.

🧲 Magnetic Maniolie (Ptolemy’s Maniolas)

German:
"difer jnfell fndt zehen gehaif maniole dafelbf mag Tcainfchiff fare das eifen an hat umb defa magne willen der dafelbf wechf (K 5 s)."

English Translation: (Ravenstein, click link)
"There are ten of these islands called Maniole. No ship having iron in it dare navigate near them because of the magnet which is found there."

📌 Note:
“Maniolie” (also Maniola or Maniolae) is identified by multiple scholars—including Archbishop Navarrete, Fr. Colin, and others—as an ancient name for the Philippines, and the etymological root of Manila.

The legend of a magnetic mountain or lodestone island—so powerful it would pull iron from passing ships—is well-documented in Arabian and Indian maritime traditions. While clearly mythologized, it reflects real phenomena: Father Colin and others reported strong magnetic activity in the Philippines, particularly along the western coast.

Even today, magnetite is actively mined in the Philippines—including offshore deposits—as confirmed by the National Museum and multiple mining reports. Such deposits are rare globally, yet abundant in the Philippines.

And the number? Ptolemy speaks of ten islands—which strikingly corresponds to the ten major islands of the Philippine archipelago. Japan does not fit this numerical nor magnetic profile.

So whether myth or magnified memory, this legend once again points unmistakably to the Philippines—not Japan—as the true Maniole of Ptolemaic geography.

📖 Silver, Gold, and Pearl Islands

Ravenstein (p. 89):

“argira (L 8 s), Argyra, the Silver country (Ptol. VII.2)
crisis (L 8), Chryse, the Gold Island (Ptol. VII.2)
thilis (L 12), Tylos, the Island of Pearls (Ptol. VI.7)

🔹 Argyra – The Silver Country

📝 Note: Behaim places Argyra at Mindanao, yet Ravenstein claims it’s Arakan (modern-day Myanmar). How does one confuse Mindanao, the large island just north of Borneo, with a mainland region hundreds of miles away? That is either grossly incompetent geography or deliberate colonial propaganda. Gebhard does not even place Argyre but Ravenstein does on his facsimile as Mindanao and then, calls it Myanmar which on his map, as this one, is actually Aurea, not Malay.

🔸 Chryse – The Gold Island

📝 Note: Behaim places Chryse at Luzon, yet Ravenstein argues it’s the Malay Peninsula, also labeled on the same map. But the Malay Peninsula is clearly not an island—and yet Ravenstein identifies it as such while also labeling it as a peninsula on the same map. This isn’t just bad scholarship—it’s a logical failure.
Yes, Aurea Chersonesus (the Golden Peninsula) appears in Ptolemy—but every credible historical rendering of Chryse or Ophir treats it as an island, including biblical accounts, Magellan, and Columbus. Ravenstein contradicts them all. 

🔹 Tylos – The Pearl Island

📝 Note: Behaim places Thilis just west of Zipangu (Luzon), which fits Palawan, home to the largest pearls in recorded history. Yet Ravenstein insists this refers to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf (based on Pliny VI.32), despite Bahrain being nowhere near the South China Sea or the location Behaim marked.
He quotes Pliny but projects Roman trade geography onto Southeast Asia, ignoring Behaim’s own cartographic placement. How did Behaim know Bahrain wasn’t in the China Sea—but Ravenstein didn’t? That’s the question.

📖 Ophir, Havilah, and Biblical Gold

German:
"in deni buck genesis findt man dass diss landt da der ganges lausst gehaissen ist hevilla da foll da foll wachsen das best golt in der welt ist in der heilige geschrift im 3 buch der konik in den 9 und 10 capitel ist gesckriebe dass konik Salomon seine schiff hie her fchicket und liefs kolen difes goldtes und kofliche perlein und edelgestain von ophir gen jerujalem difs landt giilat und ophir da der fluff gauges oder daf wafer gion durch fleufl hat zusamm gehort."

English Translation:
"In the Book of Genesis it is stated that this country through which flows the Ganges is called Havilla (Havilah). The best gold in the world is said to grow there. In Holy Writ, in the 3rd book of Kings, chapters 9 and 10, it is written, that King Solomon sent his ships hither and had brought from Ophir to Jerusalem of this gold and valuable pearls and precious stones. This country of Giilat (Havilah) and Ophir, through which flows the river Ganges or the water of Gion (Gihon), belonged together."

⚱️ Key Analysis:

This Behaim inscription directly connects Ophir with Havilah (Genesis 2), identifying it as the Land of Gold—a description consistent with both Josephus and biblical geography. Importantly:

• Genesis 2:11–12 describes Havilah as the land with the best gold, bdellium, and onyx.

• The Hebrew word “tôwb” (Strong’s #2896) means good, abundant, or excellent—indicating abundance, not scarcity.

📖 Nippon on the Behaim Globe

What about the islands north of the Tropic of Cancer? They’re on the map too—but they are not Zipangu.

Nippon (or Nihon), known as Rìběn in Chinese, was the name used in the Grand Khan’s letter to the King of Japan—not Zipangu. The nation we now call Japan has no linguistic connection to “Zipangu” whatsoever—a fact acknowledged even by several Japanese scholars.

Yes, Japan does appear on the Behaim Globe—but without honor or distinction.

• It is merely identified as part of “Indies Cathay”, i.e., the Indies east of China.

• There is no special annotation, no gold, no pearls, no spices.

• No mention of Zipangu, Lequios, or the legendary wealth described by Marco Polo.

In other words, Japan is not the target of Columbus, Magellan, or the explorers of the Age of Discovery.

Columbus, in his own journals, clearly places Zipangu at 20°–22°N—coordinates that perfectly match Luzon in the Philippines, not a single Japanese island.

Anyone claiming that Japan lies south of the Tropic of Cancer—displacing Luzon to do so—is not a scholar.
They are a propagandist.

📍The Geographic Problem:

• Japan’s major islands fall far north of Zipangu’s mapped location.

• The large, richly annotated island below the Tropic of Cancer on Behaim’s globe matches Luzon—in both latitude and description.

• Attempts to conflate tiny Ryukyu into that island have no scholarly merit. Ryukyu is clearly marked elsewhere on historical maps—and never as Zipangu.