Ancient drystone walls built in
Andean Peru and laid without mortar
Perfectly fitted stones, uniquely
angled, cut and dressed to fit and withstand earthquakes and other acts of
nature
Some walls are built with strong bases, but not meant for defense, since they are easily broken through at the top. These are most likely boundary walls or bases for walled buildings enclosing multi-roomed spaces.
Large, heavy stones for the base, but
gradually moving toward small, unstable stones at the top
While all walls may well be meant to deter some one or some thing from passing or entering, all cannot be considered defensive walls to withstand a concentrated attack from an enemy army. Obviously, some walls were built strictly for security as an extension of small forts or fortresses.
As said of Moroni in 72 BC: “Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land” (Alma 48:8).
Also, seven years later in 65 BC, he built walls that were obviously for defense, not just to enclose the Nephites within and keep the Lamanites without, but provide a means of withstanding an attack with walls obviously high enough to provide an advantage to those within.
“They were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city” (Alma 52:5).
It should be noted and clearly understood that a timber wall is not a wall wherein a defender could stand upon and cast stones at an enemy below. Timber walls, as the scriptural record points out, are not sufficient for such footing and protection for such activity as Mormon describes.
On the other hand, other walls were built with more temporary concerns in mind, or to swiftly provide a means of defense against an interim threat.
Some construction of these walls were
more temporary in nature, built of wood above ditches where the time to dress
and fit stones was not possible or desired
Such interim walls were often to secure the city at night, by closing off an entrance gate and deny secret foray or hidden incursion under cover of darkness of an enemy. Such wooden walls were typically meant to deter enemy contact, such as a city wall meant to deny entrance to ones not welcome, or those who threatened the occupants, but were not meant to withstand an all-out enemy onslaught.
The overall result of all of Moroni’s building efforts was a combined temporary and permanent construction, meant to safeguard the cities and the land of the Nephites from the constant incursions and attacks of the Lamanite: “Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land” (Alma 50:6).
Upper Left: The walled city of Old Jerusalem;
Upper right: Walled city of Ovdat (south of Beer Sheva); Lower left: Shivta, an
ancient city in the Negev desert south of Jerusalem; Lower right: the walled
city of Samaria in northern Israel
“And when the night came, Moroni went forth in the darkness of the night, and came upon the top of the wall to spy out in what part of the city the Lamanites did camp with their army…they were on the east, by the entrance; and they were all asleep. And now Moroni returned to his army, and caused that they should prepare in haste strong cords and ladders, to be let down from the top of the wall into the inner part of the wall…Moroni caused that his men should march forth and come upon the top of the wall, and let themselves down into that part of the city, yea, even on the west, where the Lamanites did not camp with their armies…[the Nephites] were all let down into the city by night, by the means of their strong cords and their ladders; thus when the morning came they were all within the walls of the city. And when the Lamanites awoke and saw that the armies of Moroni were within the walls, they were affrighted exceedingly, insomuch that they did flee out by the pass” (Alma 62:20-24).
“That Teancum in his anger did go forth into the camp of the Lamanites, and did let himself down over the walls of the city” (Alma 63:36)
To have needed ladders, and let down within by ropes, we are talking stone walls, sturdy enough to climb upon, high enough to require ladders, and too high to jump down from, so ropes were needed to lower them into the city.
(See the next post, “The Walls of Peru – Part II Defensive Walls,” for more on the Nephite construction of walls and their purpose)
No comments:
Post a Comment