And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom

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Dr Moore
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Re: And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom

Post by Dr Moore »

Bokovoy weighs in.
David Bokovoy wrote: https://www.Facebook.com/david.bokovoy
Two of the most common endings given to Book of Mormon place names are –on and –om. These endings sound biblical. We see –on in well-known names such as Lebanon and Babylon (which are both mentioned in the Book of Mormon), and the similar sounding ending on Edom, an arid region in southwest Israel also mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

So, Book of Mormon place names include Shimnilom, a city in the Land of Nephi. Zeezrom, a Nephite city on the southwest frontier. The Land of Shilom, a region next to the land of Lehi-Nephi. Ablom, the refuge for Omer and his Family. And, of course, Nahom, the place identified as the burial spot for the Book of Mormon character, Ishmael. The ending is –om, which brings me to my point.
Is it really significant that a grave marker looted from its original context and recovered on the antiquities market, lacking any clear provenance has the South Arabian name Yasmaʿʾīl inscribed upon it, and that the marker may possibly be linked with Nihm, a tribal region in Yemen? I don’t think so. Note that the place name is Nihm, not Nahom (with common Book of Mormon ending).

Moreover, the grave marker features an anthropomorphic representation of the man, Yasmaʿʾīl. Hence, whoever this man was, his family did not feel obligated to obey Exodus 20:4: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”

So there is no reason to believe that this person from Arabia was even Israelite, let alone a worshipper of the god Yahweh from the Hebrew Bible. And remember, Ishmael from the Book of Mormon is described as an Ephramite from Jerusalem.

So, no. This is not a significant discovery for the Book of Mormon, and honestly, even if the marker said, “Ishmael from Jerusalem: This marker was carved by Nephi the son Lehi,” this would still not change the fact that the Book of Mormon anachronistically relies upon biblical texts known to Joseph Smith, but which did not exist at the time the Book of Mormon uses them, nor would it change the fact that the Book of Mormon anachronistically presents a view of Christianity that historically evolved much later in history, and that the entire Book of Mormon narrative reflects a 19th century racist view of indigenous origins.

So even if that actual Nephite marker existed, the text itself would still not be historically reliable as an ancient account.

The Book of Mormon carries important religious significance, and it serves as a spiritual guide for many people, but it isn’t an ancient text, and the fact that a grave marker looted from its original context and recovered on the antiquities market, lacking any clear provenance has the South Arabian name of a non-Israelite, Yasmaʿʾīl inscribed upon it, and that the marker may possibly be linked with Nihm, a tribal region in Yemen doesn’t change that fact.
dastardly stem
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Re: And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom

Post by dastardly stem »

Bokovoy
So, no. This is not a significant discovery for the Book of Mormon, and honestly, even if the marker said, “Ishmael from Jerusalem: This marker was carved by Nephi the son Lehi,” this would still not change the fact that the Book of Mormon anachronistically relies upon biblical texts known to Joseph Smith, but which did not exist at the time the Book of Mormon uses them, nor would it change the fact that the Book of Mormon anachronistically presents a view of Christianity that historically evolved much later in history, and that the entire Book of Mormon narrative reflects a 19th century racist view of indigenous origins.
I'm glad to see him say this. Agree...so much agree.
“Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.”
― Carl Sagan, Cosmos
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