Ape in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Imported once every three years in Solomon's and Hiram's Tarshish fleets (1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chronicles 9:21). Hebrew; quoph. The ape in Sanskrit is called kapi, "ramble;" Greek kepos, akin to English ape. Solomon, as a naturalist, collected specimens from various lands. Tarshish is identified by Sir Emerson Tennent with some Ceylon seaport; so the apes (quophim) brought to Solomon probably came from Ceylon, which abounds also in "ivory and peacocks." The Tamil names moreover, for "apes," "ivory," and "peacocks," are identical with the Hebrew. Others think Ophir was on the E. African coast; then the apes would be of Ethiopia.