What Is the Name of China in the Bible?

When someone opens the Bible, they might be struck by how much of the world is represented in its pages—places like Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome all play major roles in the unfolding of its stories. But then there's a question that often arises, especially from readers today who live in the modern world, surrounded by global powers and an interconnected planet. Where is China in the Bible? Did the ancient scriptures mention this enormous and ancient civilization that we now know as China? And if so, what was it called?

To answer that, we first have to consider the context. The Bible, both Old and New Testament, was written over a long period—roughly from 1400 BCE to the first century CE—and it centers geographically on the Middle East, stretching into parts of Africa, Europe, and Western Asia. The writers of the Bible were not trying to compile a global history. They were chronicling a spiritual, cultural, and tribal narrative, focused on the Hebrews, the early Christians, and the world immediately around them.

That said, it's not accurate to assume they had no knowledge of lands further east. Trade routes existed—especially the Silk Road, which in later centuries became a major connection between East and West—and the ancient world wasn’t quite as closed off as we sometimes imagine. There were whispers, tales, and trade goods that traveled vast distances. And sometimes, names appeared—mysterious, foreign, almost mythic.

Now, when it comes to China specifically, the name "China" never appears in the Bible. That’s not surprising, since the word “China” itself comes from the Qin (pronounced “Chin”) dynasty, which ruled in the 3rd century BCE. The Biblical texts, particularly the Old Testament, were largely complete by the time the Qin dynasty rose to power. And even later, the name “China” wouldn’t have been in use in the Middle Eastern languages that Biblical authors would have known.

So, what name—if any—might have referred to China?

One of the most frequently mentioned candidates is "Sinim." This word appears only once in the entire Bible, in the book of Isaiah 49:12, which says:

"Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim."

Now, scholars have debated the identity of “Sinim” for centuries. The passage is poetic and symbolic, speaking of a future gathering of people from all over the world. The mention of Sinim is intriguing because it stands out as a distant, foreign place, clearly not part of the familiar world of the Middle East.

Some Hebrew scholars and Christian commentators believe “Sinim” may have referred to lands in the Far East—perhaps even as far as China. The logic here is partly linguistic. In many ancient languages, the root “Sin” or “Sina” was associated with China. In Arabic and Persian, for example, China was often called “Sīn” or “al-Sīn.” Even today, in many modern Asian languages, variants of “Sina” still appear when referring to China—think of “Zhōngguó” being China’s self-name, but in poetic or historical contexts, names like “Shina” or “Sina” were used elsewhere.

The Septuagint, which is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, renders Sinim as "Persians," suggesting that even by the time of translation, the identity of the place wasn’t entirely clear. That ambiguity has only deepened over time.

Now, there’s a temptation to draw a direct line: Sinim equals China. And maybe there’s some truth to it. But we also have to be careful not to read too much into a single obscure reference. Some historians have argued that Sinim could refer to a place in southern Egypt, or perhaps somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula. Others leave it open-ended—acknowledging that it simply meant “a faraway place” to the original audience.

Still, the association with China has lingered, especially in the minds of Christian scholars and missionaries who went to China centuries later. In the 19th century, many Western missionaries referred to China as “Sinim,” drawing a spiritual connection between the ancient prophecy and their modern work. They believed they were witnessing Isaiah’s vision come to life—the people from the “land of Sinim” finally being brought into the fold.

That symbolic connection, though not based on strong geographical certainty, held enormous power. It turned a single mysterious word in Isaiah into a bridge between East and West, ancient prophecy and modern mission. Whether or not the original writer of Isaiah meant China specifically, the word “Sinim” took on new meaning as generations searched for relevance in an ever-expanding world.

Outside of “Sinim,” we don't find any other names in the Bible that can be clearly linked to China. The Bible’s geographical range just didn’t reach that far. But that doesn’t mean the Biblical worldview was small. It imagined a world where all nations would one day come together. Whether they were known by name or not, people from every corner of the earth—including the mysterious lands beyond the mountains and deserts—were part of the grand design.

So, in summary, was China named in the Bible? Not directly—not in the sense we understand the word today. But perhaps in “Sinim,” we catch a glimpse, a hint, a shadow of the East. Maybe it’s a poetic placeholder for all the lands yet unknown to the ancient prophets, including what we now call China. Or maybe it was just a name lost to time, misunderstood and reinterpreted by later readers who longed to see their world included in the sacred text.

Whatever the case, it reminds us of something important: the Bible wasn’t just written for one people in one place. It’s always carried this larger hope—a vision of gathering, inclusion, and unity across nations. And in that spirit, China, like every other land, finds its place—not just in the maps of prophecy, but in the broader, unfolding story of human and divine connection.