There still remains some dispute whether the 'Cyprus' was derived from the word
kuprum ('copper') or if the name for the ore was derived from the island. Because Cyprus is situated so very close to the mayor civilizations in the Levant one might expect to find some clue in Egyptian hieroglyphs and in the Scriptures.
The West-Semitic word
√kpr is a root with many meanings. One is found in the Hebrew
kōp(p)er ('henna') used for red dye. If
kōp(p)er is 'red' it could also have been in use as (red) copper. Kypros/Cyprus therefore seems a West Semitic name for an island famous for its copper, rather than the toponym originating the metal name found in the Latin
cuprum[1].
The island
Caphtor is named in the Scriptures. The usual identification is Crete, because the
Keftiu bringing presents (vases) to Egyptian pharaohs are thought to be Cretans. But suppose Cyprus is both the biblical
Caphtor and the Egyptian
Keftiu. If Caphtor is not Cyprus, then the Old Testament completely omits reference to this large island close to the Syrian coast. The phonetics of the name also point to Cyprus
[2].
But
isy is also the origin for our modern word for the entire continent of Asia. Thus Cyprus is both
iꝫsy and
isy. Isy has evolved into Asia. Which means that an entire continent is named after a little island in the Mediterranean.
[1] Bernal: Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization. Volume III: The Linguistic Evidence – 2006
[2] Velikovsky: Capthor – varchive.org
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