It is stated in this verse that the Brother of Jared was a "large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord." His name is not given. We think it is a striking testimony to his humility and self-negation that he, notwithstanding his spiritual endowments and physical characteristics, which made him a great leader of men, was content with being known as Ahijared (the Brother of Jared) or some such subordinate title.
In the absence of direct revelation on the question of his name we can only form opinions. It is reasonably certain that it was one of the other twelve sons of Joktan, who went with Jared and became prominent in early American history. But which one of them? There were twelve. And they were all brothers of Jared.
Everything considered, we are inclined to think that Ophir, the eleventh son of Joktan, is the Brother of Jared of the Book of Ether; chiefly for the reason that he became the best known, the most famous, of the twelve others, next after Jared. Very early his fondness for gold, or his ability to acquire it, prompted his contemporaries to attach his name to any place in the far away, dimly known regions of the earth where the precious metal abounded. The gold was the "gold of Ophir." And in one place (Job 22:24), "ophir," is in the mouth of Eliphas of Theman, means gold. His message to the patriarch has been quoted in a previous paragraph of this chapter, but it is worth repeating. This is what he said literally:
"Yes, throw in dust gold,
And on rocks of brooks, ophir."
If ophir is understood to mean gold, Peru in olden times certainly was a "land of ophir." The story of Inca Atahualpa and Pizarro is well known. The Spaniard promised the Inca to give him life and liberty, if he would fill a certain room with gold as high as a man could reach. Atahualpa did so. The value of the precious metal thus collected at a short notice is, by Prescott, estimated at fifteen and one-half million dollars, and it would be worth much more at this time. At the time of King Solomon there may have been more than one land of ophir, or gold, but the commercially famous Eldorado of that age was so far distant from Ezion-geber that three years were required for the round trip. That was far enough away from the port of embarkation to make the suggestion that Ophir was in Peru seem more than a dream. May not Ophir have been the brother who accompanied Jared to America at the time of the dispersion? (See note under "Moriancumer," Ether 2:13)