HAVILAH hăv’ ə lə (חֲוִילָ֔ה, sandy). 1. Son of Cush (Gen 10:7; 1 Chron 1:9)

2. Son of Yoktan, descendant of Shem (Gen 10:29; 1 Chron 1:23).

3. A land described as being bounded by the river Pishon, one of the four rivers of the Garden of Eden, and as being rich in gold, bdellium, and onyx (Gen 2:11, 12). It is mentioned with Shur as one of the limits of the territory of the Amalekites (25:18). Saul defeated the Amalekites in this area (1 Sam 15:7); although there are some who hold that the “Havilah” referred to in this passage is a misspelling of “Hachilah,” a hill mentioned elsewhere (1 Sam 23:19; 26:1, 3). There is disagreement regarding the location of Havilah, but most scholars place it in the W part of Arabia, N of Yemen. Some locate it on the Persian Gulf. Many regard the Havilah of Arabia and that of the Garden of Eden story as two different places. No exact identification has as yet been made.