Metal Plates and The Words of Gad the Seer

From https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/the-words-of-gad-the-seer-an-apparently-ancient-text-with-intriguing-origins-and-content/

“One aspect of the story of ancient texts among the Jews at Cochin, India, is the issue of writing on metal plates. The Jews at Cochin were said to have kept their ancient history on copper or brass plates, consistent with traditions of using copper plates in India for important legal documents going back at least to the third century bc.22 A hint about scriptures written on metal comes from one source who visited the Cochin colony several times early in the 1700s, Captain Alexander Hamilton23 (a British sailor, not the US statesman). In his A New Account of the East Indies, he stated that they had kept their history recorded on copper plates stored in a synagogue.24 He reports:

They [the Jews in Cochin, India] have a Synagogue at Couchin, not far from the King’s Palace, about two Miles from the City, in which are carefully kept their Records, engraven in Copper-plates in Hebrew characters; and when any of the Characters decay, they are new cut, so that they can shew their own History from the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar to this present Time …

They declare themselves to be of the Tribe of Manasseh.25

Authentic Egyptian Names in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon claims a close tie to all things Egyptian (1 Nephi 1:1-2, Mosiah 1:2-4). Indeed, the very script that Mormon used in abridging the plates was, according to him, an Egyptian script called amongst the Nephite scribes "reformed Egyptian" (Mormon 9:32). Because of this, and considering that 1) Lehi was a descendant of Joseph of Egypt (1 Nephi 5:14) and 2) Egypt had a strong cultural and religious connection with Israel during Lehi's time, we should not be surprised to find strong Egyptian influences amongst the peoples of the Book of Mormon.

One such influence can be seen in the names of several people in the Book of Mormon. These names, as have been noted by Latter-day Saint scholars, are authentic ancient Egyptian names. The following comes from Dr. Hugh Nibley's classic work Lehi in the Desert (pages 25-30) and can be accessed online on the website of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute.

Aha (BM), son of Nephite commander in chief.
Aha (OW), a name of the first Pharaoh; it means "warrior" and is a common word.

Aminadab (BM), Nephite missionary in time of the judges.
Amanathabi (OW), chief of a Canaanite city under Egyptian domination. The name is "reformed" Egyptian.

Ammon (BM), the commonest name in the Book of Mormon.
Ammon (Amon, Amun) (OW), the commonest name in the Egyptian Empire: the great universal God of the Empire.

Ammoni-hah (BM), name of a country and city.
Ammuni-ra (OW), prince of Beyrut under Egyptian rule.

Cezoram (BM), Nephite chief judge.
Chiziri (OW), Egyptian governor of a Syrian city.

Giddonah (BM), a) high priest who judge Korihor, b) father of Amulek.
Dji-dw-na (OW), the Egyptian name for Sidon.

Gidgiddoni and Gidgiddonah (BM), Nephite generals.
Djed-djhwt-iw-f and Djed-djhwti-iw-s plus ankh (OW), Egyptian proper names meaning "Thoth hath said: he shall live," and "Thoth hath said: she shall live," respectively. On this pattern the two Nephite names mean "Thoth hath said I shall live," and "Thoth hath said: we shall live," respectively.

Gimgim-no (BM), city of Gimgim, compare Biblical No-Amon, "City of Amon."
Kenkeme (OW), Egyptian city, cf. Kipkip, seat of the Egyptian dynasty in Nubia.

Hem (BM), brother of the earlier Ammon.
Hem (OW), means "servant," specifically of Ammon, as in the title Hem tp n 'Imn, "chief servant of Ammon" held by the high priest of Thebes.

Helaman (BM), great Nephite prophet.
Her-amon (OW), "in the presence of Amon," as in the Egyptian proper name Heri-i-her-imn. Semitic "l" is always written "r" in Egyptian, which has no "l." Conversely, the Egyptian "r" is often written "l" in Semitic languages.

Himni (BM), a son of King Mosiah.
Hmn (OW), a name of the Egyptian hawk-god, symbol of the emperor.

Korihor (BM), a political agitator who was seized by the people of Ammon.
Kherihor (also written Khurhor, etc.) (OW), great high priest of Ammon who seized the throne of Egypt at Thebes, cir. 1085 B.C.

Manti (BM), the name of a Nephite soldier, a land, a city, and a hill.
Manti (OW), Semitic form of an Egyptian proper name, e.g., Manti-mankhi, a prince in Upper Egypt cir. 650 B.C. It is a late form of Month, god of Hermonthis.

Morianton (BM), the name of a Nephite city and its founder, cf. the Nephite province Moriantum.
Meriaton and Meriamon (OW), names of Egyptian princes, "Beloved of Aton" and "Beloved of Amon" respectively.

Nephi (BM), founder of the Nephite nation.
Nehi, Nehri (OW), famous Egyptian noblemen. Nfy was the name of an Egyptian captain. Since BM insists on "ph," Nephi is closer to Nihpi, original name of the god Pa-nepi, which may even have been Nephi. (Note: I have covered the name "Nephi" in an earlier post. See "Some Notes on the Name Nephi".)

Paanchi (BM), son of Pahoran, Sr., and pretender to the chief-judgeship.
Paanchi (OW), son of Kherihor, a) chief high priest of Amon, b) ruler of the south who conquered all of Egypt and was high priest of Amon at Thebes.

Pahoran (BM), a) great chief judge, b) son of the same.
Pa-her-an (OW), ambassador of Egypt in Palestine, where his name has the "reformed" reading Pahura; in Egyptian as Pa-her-y it means "the Syrian" or Asiatic.

Pacumeni (BM), son of Pahoran.
Pakamen (OW), Egyptian proper name meaning "blind man"; also Pamenches (Gk. Pachomios), commander of the south and high priest of Horus.

Pachus (BM), revolutionary leader and usurper of the throne.
Pa-ks and Pach-qs (OW), Egyptian proper name. Compare Pa-ches-i, "he is praised."

Sam (BM), brother of Nephi.
Sam Tawi (OW), Egyptian "uniter of the lands," title taken by the brother of Nehri upon mounting the throne.

Zemna-ri-hah (BM), robber chief.
Zmn-ha-re (OW), Egyptian proper name: the same elements as the above in different order—a common Egyptian practice.

Zeniff (BM), ruler of Nephite colony.
Znb, Snb (OW), very common elements in Egyptian proper names, cf. Senep-ta.

Zenoch (BM), according to various Nephite writers, an ancient Hebrew prophet.
Zenekh (OW), Egyptian proper name; once a serpent-god.

The reader must remember that in Semitic languages, including Hebrew and Egyptian, vowels do no exist, and thus the more important factor are the consonant roots, which are spot on in the names of these figures in the Book of Mormon and other Egyptian names. Furthermore, the presence of a variation in vowels in these names is, as Nibley notes, "...strong confirmation of their common origin, since names are bound to undergo some change with time and distance, whereas if the resemblance were perfect, we should be forced to attribute it, however fantastic it might seem, to mere coincidence. There must be differences; and what is more, those differences should not be haphazard but display definite tendencies. This brings us to a most impressive aspect of Book of Mormon names."

In summation, the presence of Egyptian names in the Book of Mormon is not only something that should create appreciation on behalf of the reader for the context from whence the Book of Mormon came (i.e. the ancient Near East) but is also strong evidence of its antiquity. Egyptian was not understood in Joseph Smith's antebellum America. Indeed, only a select few scholars in Europe could barely read Egyptian. For Joseph Smith to get any authentic Egyptian names in the Book of Mormon if he were simply writing it is beyond credulity. The presence of Egyptian names in the Book of Mormon can force only one conclusion: that whoever wrote the Book of Mormon was familiar with an ancient Near Eastern background.

For further reading, see the following:

http://www.farms.byu.edu/publications/booksmain.php?bookid=59

http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/pdf.php?filename=NDM1Mjg3MTgxLTktMS5wZGY=&type=amJtcw==

http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon_anachronisms/Names

Back at Lehi's Camp (1 Nephi 5)

While her boys were away at Jerusalem, endeavoring to get the plates of brass, Sariah becomes extremely anxious for their safety, as any good mother would.

Sariah begins to complain to Lehi because of her fears for them--that they had "perished in the wilderness". She even went so far as to complain about Lehi's visions being the reason for their suffering and that these visions would be the cause of all their deaths.

I love that about the Book of Mormon. The Bible and the Book of Mormon narratives tend to focus on the events from a man's point of view. That's just the way things were in that age. However, the authors of the Book of Mormon do give more insight into the thoughts and emotions of women of God (warts and all) than we find in the same comparative proportion in the Bible. I believe this is because the overarching theme of the book is that it is principally about families and how they and their descendants fared in a new land. It makes sense, then, that more focus is given to women in this book, for they bore the sons and daughters of this new civilization.

Lehi, instead of breaking out in indignant, patriarchal rage, comforts her by encouraging her to look back on those times when she did believe in the visions and the land of promise that they were going to eventually inherit. This is a good model for any father and husband to follow when times get tough.

Verses 7-8 give us a sense of the comfort Sariah must have felt upon the return of her four sons.

After offering sacrifices and burnt offerings (which indicates they must have traveled more than three days' journey from Jerusalem according to Mosaic law as it was interpreted at that time), Lehi examines the plates and discovers that they contained the five books of Moses, a record of the Jews from the beginning "even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah" (Lehi's day) and many prophecies.

But what seems to have most intrigued Lehi was learning that the genealogy of his own fathers, of the tribe of Joseph, was inscribed on the plates. He now had confirmation that he was of the lineage of Joseph of Egypt. This is an important thing to remember as you read the rest of the book, for it shows how the Lord remembers His covenant with Israel, even as He allows them, through their agency and bad choices, to scatter themselves to all ends of the earth. He commands there to be records kept of the migrations of those tribes. We have had that record in the Old Testament for the tribe of Judah and now we have it for the tribe of Joseph. How many other tribes kept records? The Book of Mormon tells us that there are many. And, they have kept records and were visited by Christ.

It's no wonder Nephi records:

21 And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great ^aworth unto us, insomuch that we could ^bpreserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children.

22 Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise.

Nephi Makes a Critical Decision (1 Nephi 4)

Chapter 4 continues the story of the conflict between Laman and Lemuel and Nephi and Sam in their attempts to obtain the brass plates. Let's pause for a moment and analyze why they were so motivated to get these records.

In ancient times, there were, of course, no printing presses. So, every important record or history that was kept was valuable insomuch that it took enormous effort to copy and distribute it. Therefore, it wasn't uncommon for there to be one and only one copy of a particular account or history. For preservation, these accounts were carved on stone monuments, written on sheepskin or papyrus, or, in this case, were engraved on metal plates.

The brass plates were one of a kind. They contained a history of the lineage of Lehi's family (Laban was a kinsman). Lehi had been commanded to leave Jerusalem forever and to start anew in a promised land that the Lord had prepared for them. He was likely concerned from the start that the teachings of prior prophets and their genealogy as recorded on the plates of brass would not be with them to help remind them and their posterity of their origins, language, and religious practices. Lehi knew that Laban would not give them up willingly and, for that reason, probably did not see it as an option to ask for them when leaving Jerusalem...especially given the haste in which they had to leave. But now, after they had journeyed in the wilderness for a good space of time, the Lord was commanding Lehi to send his sons to return to get the records. It had to be done.

Continuing on, Nephi reminds his brothers that the Lord "is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?" He also recalls the captivity of the Jews in Egypt and how God inspired Moses to lead His people out using a series of miracles. Then he repeats the fact that they have all seen and heard an angel telling them to be obedient to this commandment and that they would be kept safe.

Still murmuring, the two older brothers followed Nephi and Sam back to Jerusalem. They hid outside the city walls and then crept into the city. Nephi says he was "led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."

At this point, Nephi goes ahead alone and he describes what would be his final encounter with Laban. Laban was powerful, having command of a militia within the city and entrusted with the care of important records. Yet, there before him was this ruler of fifty men, drunken and "fallen to the earth". Perhaps he had been celebrating his defrauding of the sons of Lehi of all of their earthly possessions while still withholding the plates of brass from them.

However, Nephi was not seeking revenge. He merely wanted to obey the Lord's commandment to get the sacred records. Remember also that he had no prior plan, but was being led by the Spirit. As he was contemplating the fallen figure before him, he noticed Laban's sword and that it was of a workmanship that was "exceedingly fine" (there is some evidence to suggest that Nephi had a working knowledge of metallurgy, having possibly been an apprentice in that trade. See "Ancient Smelting" and "Iron Making" in Metals of the Book of Mormon).

As he pulled the sword from its sheath, he received a commandment from the Spirit that he would never have expected. The commmandment was to kill Laban. Nephi records that "I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him." Until now, Nephi had been unflinchingly obedient to every commandment of the Lord. But this one obviously troubled him because he was not disposed to this kind of violence, nor did he expect such a command to come from the Lord.

Yet, the Spirit of the Lord commanded again that he slay Laban, saying, "Behold, the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands." Nephi began to understand more of the context of this commandment as a result of this added detail. Laban had sought to kill him and his brothers and he was steadfast in refusing to obey the commandment of the Lord to give them the plates. He had also taken away their property without giving them anything for it.

The Spirit then said to Nephi that "the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than a nation [like the one that would come of Lehi's posterity in their new promised land] should dwindle and perish in unbelief. "

At this point, Nephi begins to fully understand the reach of this commandment because he remembered the words the Lord had spoken to him in the wilderness: "Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise." How could this promise be fulfilled unless a written record of the commandments, and their religion, be transmitted through their descendants. They had already tried everything possible short of killing Laban to obtain these records and were nearly killed themselves in the process.

Nephi, having been taught the reason why the Lord was insistent on Laban perishing, was ready to obey the voice of the Spirit so as to preserve the knowledge of the Lord for his future descendants. It was better that this wicked man be slain than for millions of yet unborn people to fall into error and forget the Lord.

He raised the sword and did as he was commanded. Then, he put on Laban's clothes, knowing that he would likely run into some opposition at getting the records and would need to be disguised somehow.

Upon approaching the treasury, he saw the servant of Laban, Zoram, who was a guard. The disguise was apparently enough to convince Zoram that Nephi was Laban and he began to speak with him as if that were so. Nephi asked for the records and Zoram produced them. Nephi wanted to ensure that Zoram would not alert other guards should he become suspicious, so he had Zoram follow him to the gates of the city.

But, when Zoram saw Nephi's brethren outside the city, he began to run away. Nephi caught him and promised him that if he would make an oath or a promise (something not easily broken in those days) that he would come with them, be faithful to the Lord, and not return to Jerusalem, Zoram would be a free man and would inherit a promised land. Zoram agreed and they returned to Lehi.

Return to Jerusalem (1 Nephi 3)

As they traveled in the wilderness, Lehi had another dream from the Lord telling him to send his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain sacred records that had been handed down, likely through their Israelite tribe (the tribe of Joseph), for many generations. This record was known as the "plates of brass" and "contained a record of the Jews and also a genealogy of [Lehi's] forefathers" (1 Nephi 3:3). The records were kept in the house of a man named Laban.

As Laman and Lemuel murmured, Nephi said to his father,

...I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
1 Nephi 3:7

When they arrived in Jerusalem, Laman was the first to go to Laban's house and ask for the plates. He was not only refused, but was cast out of Laban's house. Just as Laman and Lemuel were about to turn back to return to their family in the wilderness, Nephi reminded them of the promise or oath they made to their father that they would obtain the plates and that they would not return without them. He reminded them that it was part of God's plan for them to have the records and therefore it would be made possible.

Successful in persuading them, Nephi led them back to Jerusalem to speak with Laban as a group. Along the way, they stopped by their home and brought with them all of their gold, silver, and other precious things. Laban, impressed by their goods, stole it all from them and chased them out of his house with his servants following to kill them. Once they were safely away from the city, Laman and Lemuel were angry with Nephi and began to beat Nephi and Sam with a stick.

Immediately, an angel appeared to them commanding them to stop and to return again to Jerusalem. They were told that Laban would be delivered to them. Even after the angel disappeared, Laman and Lemuel continued to murmur because they didn't understand how someone as mighty as Laban, with his command of fifty men, would be delivered into the hands of four young men.

What are these "brass plates" and "gold plates"?

In ancient times, scribes who had very important things to record would record them in stone, on cave walls, and sometimes on sheets of wrought or cast metal. When Joseph Smith received the ancient record we now call "The Book of Mormon", it was written on thin sheets of metal that he called "plates". The plates were bound together with metal rings--somewhat in the same way a loose-leaf binder holds together sheets of paper. Here are some descriptions of the plates by various people who saw them, and some who didn't see them directly, but touched them through the cloth in which Joseph wrapped them when hiding them to protect them from the mobs. Another good article on the subject is found here. To the right, see a photo of a replica of what the plates may have looked like based on these various descriptions.

The reason that metal plates were desirable as a means of recording important information for posterity was that they were less prone to decomposition. Gold plates were especially durable because gold doesn't rust or corrode. So important for our day was the message that Mormon was compiling about the rise and fall of his people that he went even to the length of gathering up such a scarce and precious metal, worked it into thin leaves, engraved the record upon them, and hid them in a hill. Later, Joseph would be directed to their hiding place and would be allowed to take possession of and translate them from the ancient language of the Nephite and Lamanite people into English.