Acropolis ruins in Fortune island of Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines.
Chapter 3 | Greek, Indian, Chinese
Ancient Source of Gold
Malaka! That is not Greece but the Acropolis ruins in Fortune Island of Nagsugbu, Batangas, Philippines. This word “malaka” in Greek is an exclamation of surprise. However, it reminds us of the Tagalog word “malakas” meaning strong. One must love the Greeks not for their esoteric philosophy and certainly not for their conquering empire but for their anecdotes in which some prove to be founded in truth. This is one of those accounts and it leads to Ophir. Remember, King Solomon partnered with Hiram, King of Tyre – the Phoenician. In the era of Solomon, the Phoenicians ruled the seas in the Mediterranean but few historians even recognize that they had a whole new route now thanks to Solomon as of 970 B.C. into the Indian Ocean. The Phoenician language is the origin of the Greek language and it’s influences in culture and mariner history are significant as it was absorbed into Greece in part. In doing so, the Greeks acquired the knowledge of the shipping routes of the Phoenicians including the route to Ophir for Gold and Tarshish for Silver. In the Greek language, these two areas would be rebranded in name in Greek. As the Romans did not continue these routes, this would be lost and rediscovered but records and maps exist from early in the Roman period. Note they did not typically reflect Malaysia nor Indochina and the Ganges empties into the South China Sea on most maps. Many have chronicled about the reputed Greek isle of gold called Chryse and their isle of silver known as Argyre. However, until Magellan, the West did not actually rediscover them yet but they would narrow in on it over time. This has been misconstrued though. 33
