The God Culture Philippines Biblical History Library

🪶 THE SMOKING QUILL | May 24, 2025

The Final Blow: Why Ryukyu Was Never

Lequios, Ophir, or Zipangu

🔰 INTRODUCTION: The Myth of Ryukyu

For decades, scholars have lazily defaulted to Ryukyu (Okinawa) as the legendary Lequios, Ophir, or even Zipangu of ancient geography. But a closer examination of the four most powerful primary accounts—Duarte Barbosa, King Solomon’s Navy (2 Chronicles 9), the Greek Homer, and Marco Polo—shows that Ryukyu fails every test. The Philippines, however, passes all with flying gold.

1️⃣ Barbosa's Test: 175 Leagues to Luzon

Key Markers from Barbosa:

• Lequios faced China.

• 175 leagues from Malacca = Northern Philippines, not Ryukyu.

• Traders arrived in ships laden with:Gold in barsSilverRich clothsPorcelainVery good wheat

Ryukyu Fails:

• No gold or silver trade

• Late wheat adoption, no high-quality variety

• Not facing China (Ryukyu is northeast)

• Geographically too far (1,500 km vs. 900 km to Luzon)

Philippines Passes:

• Luzon is directly east of Malacca and south of China

• Adlay wheat in Batanes and Luzon

• Documented gold mining and trade (Butuan, Surigao)

• Ortelius confirms region as Ophir’s incense source (Elemi)

🧭 Map Analysis Included — showing Luzon and Batanes at perfect 175-league distance.

2️⃣ The Ophir Test: 2 Chronicles 9

Biblical Resources from Ophir/Tarshish/Sheba:

• Gold

• Silver

• Ivory

• Almug Trees

• Apes & Peacocks

• Incense, Myrrh, Frankincense

Ryukyu Fails All:

• No gold, silver, ivory, or documented apes

• No tropical trees like Almug or Pili

• No incense trade or native fragrant resins

• 🐒 Native Fauna Test: Another Ryukyu Miss: One might argue Ryukyu’s native monkey — the Yakushima macaque — supports the region’s significance. However, this subspecies of the Japanese macaque is only found on Yakushima Island, at the northernmost tip of the Ryukyu chain. This indicates it is not endemic to the broader archipelago. In contrast, the Philippines features multiple endemic species of monkeys (e.g., Philippine long-tailed macaque) found throughout the islands, demonstrating a far deeper biological diversity and fit with ancient descriptions of Ophir, Tarshish, and Chryse.

Philippines Passes All:

• Gold & Silver in archaeological and Spanish records

• Ivory via elephant trade routes through Borneo

• Apes (tarsiers, macaques), Peacocks imported via SEA

• Elemi (ancient frankincense match) from the Pili tree

3️⃣ Marco Polo’s Zipangu: Land of Gold and Grandeur

Zipangu’s Features (Polo’s Description):

• Island east of Cathay

• Gold-roofed palace

• Rich in gold and silver

• 1,500-mile circumference

• Never conquered by Mongols

• Artisans and idol-makers

• White Pepper

Ryukyu Fails:

• No gold palaces

• No record of pre-modern grandeur

• Mongols did conquer and burn it

• Sparse population in Polo’s time

• No White Pepper

Philippines Passes:

• Luzon fits geographic description

• Spanish chronicles describe gold-covered nobility

• Never conquered by Mongols

• Famous for skilled goldsmiths, rituals, and maritime might

• Abundant White Pepper described by Pigafetta (1521) even

4️⃣ The Chryse Test: The Greek “Land of Gold”

Ancient Greek Sources (Ptolemy, Pliny, Arrian):

• “Chryse” literally means Golden

• Paired with “Argyre” (Silver)

• Pliny: “Near the Golden Chersonese are the islands of Chryse and Argyre, whose soil is rich in gold and silver.”

• Described as being east of India, near the Golden Peninsula (Malacca) and islands rich in alluvial gold

Ryukyu Fails:

• No known ancient gold or silver production

• Not near Malacca, India, or Golden Chersonese

• No Greek mention of Ryukyu or any islands at 29°N

• No Ptolemaic-era cartography pointing there

Philippines Passes:

• Identified by early cartographers as Chryse (see Behaim, Martellus)

• Largest alluvial gold deposits in Asia (confirmed by modern geology)

• Islands east of Malacca (direct match)

• Boxer Codex and early Spanish explorers affirm widespread native gold usage

📍 Bonus: Even the Chinese name for the Philippines (Lü-song) implies “island of gold” connections, confirming foreign recognition of its mineral wealth.

✅ FINAL VERDICT: Four Pillars Collapse Ryukyu Theory

• Barbosa proves Luzon = Lequios

• 2 Chronicles proves only Philippines fits Ophir

• Marco Polo confirms Zipangu fits Luzon, not Ryukyu

• Chryse confirms Greek recognition of Luzon as the Land of Gold

🪶 “The world knew. The cartographers remembered. Only the colonizers rebranded.”