FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Difference between revisions of "Criticism of Mormonism/Video/Search for the Truth DVD/Archaeology"
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| + | |L=Criticism of Mormonism/Video/Search for the Truth DVD/Archaeology | ||
| + | |H=<em>Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith</em> or <em>Search for the Truth</em> DVD | ||
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{{DVDHeadingBox|Archaeology}} | {{DVDHeadingBox|Archaeology}} | ||
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*[[Archaeology and the Bible|Book of Mormon and Biblical archaeology]] | *[[Archaeology and the Bible|Book of Mormon and Biblical archaeology]] | ||
| − | *{{Ensign|author=Daniel C. Peterson|article=Mounting Evidence for the Book of Mormon|vol=30|num=1|date=January 2000|start=18|end=24}}{{link|url= | + | *{{Ensign|author=Daniel C. Peterson|article=Mounting Evidence for the Book of Mormon|vol=30|num=1|date=January 2000|start=18|end=24}}{{link|url=https://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/01/mounting-evidence-for-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng}} |
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*{{JBMS-14-2-8}} | *{{JBMS-14-2-8}} | ||
*[[Archaeology and the Bible|Book of Mormon and Biblical archaeology]] | *[[Archaeology and the Bible|Book of Mormon and Biblical archaeology]] | ||
| − | *John L. Sorenson, "Digging into the Book of Mormon: Our Changing Understanding of Ancient America and Its Scripture," ''Ensign'' (September 1984): 27–37.{{link|url= | + | *John L. Sorenson, "Digging into the Book of Mormon: Our Changing Understanding of Ancient America and Its Scripture," ''Ensign'' (September 1984): 27–37.{{link|url=https://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/09/digging-into-the-book-of-mormon-our-changing-understanding-of-ancient-america-and-its-scripture?lang=eng}} |
| − | *John L. Sorenson, "Digging into the Book of Mormon: Our Changing Understanding of Ancient America and Its Scripture, Part 2," ''Ensign'' (October 1984): 12–24.{{link|url= | + | *John L. Sorenson, "Digging into the Book of Mormon: Our Changing Understanding of Ancient America and Its Scripture, Part 2," ''Ensign'' (October 1984): 12–24.{{link|url=https://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/09/digging-into-the-book-of-mormon-our-changing-understanding-of-ancient-america-and-its-scripture?lang=eng}} |
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! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;color:#000;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">Claim: "Not one artifact from the Book of Mormon has ever been found. Not one city, not one empire...."</h2> | ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;color:#000;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">Claim: "Not one artifact from the Book of Mormon has ever been found. Not one city, not one empire...."</h2> | ||
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Surviving epigraphic evidence from ancient America, however, is very rare. | Surviving epigraphic evidence from ancient America, however, is very rare. | ||
| − | If we knew the place names by which all ancient American cities were known during Book of Mormon times, critics might have a stronger case. The fact is, however, that extremely few ancient inscriptions give us these place names. The few which are known are generally phonetic in nature (which means that we don't know for certain how these city names were pronounced). Because we don't know the original names of most ancient American cities, we use those designations assigned by the Spanish—such as La Venta, San Lorenz, etc. If we don't know the ancient names, how can | + | If we knew the place names by which all ancient American cities were known during Book of Mormon times, critics might have a stronger case. The fact is, however, that extremely few ancient inscriptions give us these place names. The few which are known are generally phonetic in nature (which means that we don't know for certain how these city names were pronounced). Because we don't know the original names of most ancient American cities, we use those designations assigned by the Spanish—such as La Venta, San Lorenz, etc. If we don't know the ancient names, how can some claim that—according to archaeologists—there were no Book of Mormon cities such as Lib, or Bountiful? |
| − | cities such as Lib, or Bountiful? | ||
'''Old world inscriptional evidence''' | '''Old world inscriptional evidence''' | ||
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The precise identification of a viable route from Jerusalem across Arabia via a route totally unknown in Joseph Smith's day is also compelling evidence for 1 Nephi's ancient origins. | The precise identification of a viable route from Jerusalem across Arabia via a route totally unknown in Joseph Smith's day is also compelling evidence for 1 Nephi's ancient origins. | ||
| − | The video misleads its viewers about what is possible given current | + | The video misleads its viewers about what is possible given current archaeological knowledge, and hides areas that give support to the Book of Mormon account. |
'''To read more:''' | '''To read more:''' | ||
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| − | From iconographic evidence we know that ancient Americans used weapons that function in the same way as described in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon, for example, mentions swords. | + | From iconographic evidence we know that ancient Americans used weapons that function in the same way as described in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon, for example, mentions swords. Metallic swords are mentioned, but they seem to be rare, elite weapons. These weapons disappear early in the Book of Mormon record. |
| − | Some swords with at least some | + | Some swords with at least some metallic elements are mentioned for the Jaredites (e.g. {{s||Ether|7|9}}), and the Nephites were impressed enough by such swords to bring them back as evidence (e.g., {{s||Mosiah|8|11}}). This suggests that metallic swords may have been unusual to the Nephites, which correlates with the relative scarcity of metal in pre-Columbian America. |
| − | Furthermore, metal weapons are rare in ''any'' | + | Furthermore, metal weapons are rare in ''any'' archaeological context (even in the much more heavily studied ancient Near East). |
Most readers have assumed that the mention of swords ''always'' referred to metal (European-like) weapons. Such an assumption, however, is not always warranted by the text. Mesoamericans used wooden clubs, laced with volcanic obsidian (extremely sharp), or bits of sharp rock or even (on rare occasions) bits of metal. When the Spanish encountered these clubs, they dubbed them "swords," and one Spaniard claimed that these swords were so sharp that he saw a Native American cut the head off a horse with one blow. | Most readers have assumed that the mention of swords ''always'' referred to metal (European-like) weapons. Such an assumption, however, is not always warranted by the text. Mesoamericans used wooden clubs, laced with volcanic obsidian (extremely sharp), or bits of sharp rock or even (on rare occasions) bits of metal. When the Spanish encountered these clubs, they dubbed them "swords," and one Spaniard claimed that these swords were so sharp that he saw a Native American cut the head off a horse with one blow. | ||
| − | In any event, how would we know if a weapon found was a "Book of Mormon" weapon or not? Do the critics expect these to be labeled? How do they know a weapon found in the Middle East is a "biblical" weapon, save that it came from the correct time period? How can they know if it was used by a biblical people or a different group | + | In any event, how would we know if a weapon found was a "Book of Mormon" weapon or not? Do the critics expect these to be labeled? How do they know a weapon found in the Middle East is a "biblical" weapon, save that it came from the correct time period? How can they know if it was used by a biblical people or a different group? |
| − | The DVD misleads its viewers about what | + | The DVD misleads its viewers about what archaeology can accomplish. |
'''To read more''' | '''To read more''' | ||
Latest revision as of 13:19, 13 April 2024
Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith or Search for the Truth DVD
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