A Jewish site talking about the Book of Mormon
Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 7:06 am
http://www.yadlachimusa.org.il/?Cate...&ArticleID=603
My Pastor a couple Sundays ago mentioned how David penetrated the city while it was controlled by the enemy the Jebusites, and they couldn't by attacking but crawled through the water ducts under the city to penetrate it
The story in the Book of Mormon progresses to the point where the sons of Lehi go to Laban in his Temple office and ask for the plates of brass that contained their genealogy. Laban ejected them from the office and the sons of Lehi left Jerusalem bemoaning their fate. After nightfall they scaled the walls of Jerusalem and returned toward Laban's office. The act of climbing the walls and entering the city is an incredible feat in itself, considering that those walls were over eight meters high with manned parapets, watchtowers and guards stationed at intervals to prevent such an event. It is even more incredible when you consider that an area was cleared a healthy distance away from the walls so that an approaching man could be seen as a shadow at night. But ignoring that, Nephi wandered around Jerusalem until he discovered Laban, intoxicated and lying in the street. Nephi noticed that Laban's sword had a hilt of gold and a blade of "most precious steel" (1 Nephi 4.9, pg 7)
I must point out that steel was not invented until about 200 years ago. There have never been any archeological artifacts discovered in Israel from ancient days that were made of steel. I can only conclude that the author of the Book of Mormon lived after the modern invention of steel and was completely ignorant of the fact of its late invention.
In conclusion, it seems that the Book of Mormon was written by one with a background of later-day Christianity, one who was generally uneducated, with no background of Jewish history apart from what can be gleaned from the King James Bible. His understanding of archeological data concerning South and Central American cultures was well known in the United States 200 years ago. His understanding of the physical universe was faulty and his narrative seems to be the product of a very fertile imagination. I dislike being so critical of another's faith but I must remind you that it was you who sent me the copy of the Book of Mormon and asked for my critical appraisal. Thank you for the opportunity to read it and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Dale Baranowski
Very interesting I have said the same thing, The Book of Mormon is a product of a person who knew the 4th and 5th century Creeds very well and seem to agree totally with the creeds except for the modalism passages found in them.
The biblical account
And the king and his men went unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come hither; thinking David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. And David said on that day, whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, the blind and the lame shall not come into the house. So David dwelt in the fort and called it the city of David. [II Samuel 5: 6-9]
We have already seen that archaeologists uncovered a large stepped structure that could have been the basis of the Jebusite town, so the two questions that arise are: how did David and his men get into the town, and what is the significance of the rather obscure reference to the "blind and the lame."
Actually my Pastor explained this passage by saying the passage was so small and dark they had to crawl or slide on the belly in a dark passage to pass through to get into the city.
The most interesting portion of the Book of Mormon is in 2 Nephi 5.15, page 61, Nephi writes that... "I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of brass, and of steel, (sic), of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance."
Nephi must have been a man of truly exceptional capabilities to have even learned how to work as a craftsman in all these metals - any of which required a lifetime of learning and experience to be a craftsman of value. I take pains to point out these precious materials were not in great abundance.
"And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land...." (2 Nephi 5.16)
It is striking that the company of two families, numbering no more than 30 individuals, infants and aged included, were capable of building an exact replica of the Temple of Solomon that, in Solomon's time required 180,330 individuals a total of 7 years to construct! How marvelous! But please explain to me how it was that in verse 15 many precious metals and ores were abundant upon the land yet in verse 16 the company was suddenly unable to find any of these items. Why? Was the entire company taken with a fit of amnesia? An amnesia that concerned itself with only the location of these precious materials? The text gives no explanation or reconciliation of this blatant contradiction. The author of the Book of Mormon was quite ignorant of one important detail of Christianity. This detail is illustrated by the following verse;
"Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ - for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name..." 2 Nephi 10.3, pg 71.
Apparently the angel erred in speaking and prophesying to Nephi that the name of the Redeemer should be 'Christ'. As nearly every Christian knows, 'Christ' is supposed to mean 'messiah' and not Jesus' family name! Did the angel think that Jesus' parents were named Joseph Christ and Mary Christ? This verse suggests that either the angel or the author of the Book of Mormon did!
My Pastor a couple Sundays ago mentioned how David penetrated the city while it was controlled by the enemy the Jebusites, and they couldn't by attacking but crawled through the water ducts under the city to penetrate it
The story in the Book of Mormon progresses to the point where the sons of Lehi go to Laban in his Temple office and ask for the plates of brass that contained their genealogy. Laban ejected them from the office and the sons of Lehi left Jerusalem bemoaning their fate. After nightfall they scaled the walls of Jerusalem and returned toward Laban's office. The act of climbing the walls and entering the city is an incredible feat in itself, considering that those walls were over eight meters high with manned parapets, watchtowers and guards stationed at intervals to prevent such an event. It is even more incredible when you consider that an area was cleared a healthy distance away from the walls so that an approaching man could be seen as a shadow at night. But ignoring that, Nephi wandered around Jerusalem until he discovered Laban, intoxicated and lying in the street. Nephi noticed that Laban's sword had a hilt of gold and a blade of "most precious steel" (1 Nephi 4.9, pg 7)
I must point out that steel was not invented until about 200 years ago. There have never been any archeological artifacts discovered in Israel from ancient days that were made of steel. I can only conclude that the author of the Book of Mormon lived after the modern invention of steel and was completely ignorant of the fact of its late invention.
In conclusion, it seems that the Book of Mormon was written by one with a background of later-day Christianity, one who was generally uneducated, with no background of Jewish history apart from what can be gleaned from the King James Bible. His understanding of archeological data concerning South and Central American cultures was well known in the United States 200 years ago. His understanding of the physical universe was faulty and his narrative seems to be the product of a very fertile imagination. I dislike being so critical of another's faith but I must remind you that it was you who sent me the copy of the Book of Mormon and asked for my critical appraisal. Thank you for the opportunity to read it and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Dale Baranowski
Very interesting I have said the same thing, The Book of Mormon is a product of a person who knew the 4th and 5th century Creeds very well and seem to agree totally with the creeds except for the modalism passages found in them.
The biblical account
And the king and his men went unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come hither; thinking David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. And David said on that day, whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, the blind and the lame shall not come into the house. So David dwelt in the fort and called it the city of David. [II Samuel 5: 6-9]
We have already seen that archaeologists uncovered a large stepped structure that could have been the basis of the Jebusite town, so the two questions that arise are: how did David and his men get into the town, and what is the significance of the rather obscure reference to the "blind and the lame."
Actually my Pastor explained this passage by saying the passage was so small and dark they had to crawl or slide on the belly in a dark passage to pass through to get into the city.
The most interesting portion of the Book of Mormon is in 2 Nephi 5.15, page 61, Nephi writes that... "I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of brass, and of steel, (sic), of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance."
Nephi must have been a man of truly exceptional capabilities to have even learned how to work as a craftsman in all these metals - any of which required a lifetime of learning and experience to be a craftsman of value. I take pains to point out these precious materials were not in great abundance.
"And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land...." (2 Nephi 5.16)
It is striking that the company of two families, numbering no more than 30 individuals, infants and aged included, were capable of building an exact replica of the Temple of Solomon that, in Solomon's time required 180,330 individuals a total of 7 years to construct! How marvelous! But please explain to me how it was that in verse 15 many precious metals and ores were abundant upon the land yet in verse 16 the company was suddenly unable to find any of these items. Why? Was the entire company taken with a fit of amnesia? An amnesia that concerned itself with only the location of these precious materials? The text gives no explanation or reconciliation of this blatant contradiction. The author of the Book of Mormon was quite ignorant of one important detail of Christianity. This detail is illustrated by the following verse;
"Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ - for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name..." 2 Nephi 10.3, pg 71.
Apparently the angel erred in speaking and prophesying to Nephi that the name of the Redeemer should be 'Christ'. As nearly every Christian knows, 'Christ' is supposed to mean 'messiah' and not Jesus' family name! Did the angel think that Jesus' parents were named Joseph Christ and Mary Christ? This verse suggests that either the angel or the author of the Book of Mormon did!