Gulf of Tehuantepec – Mesoamerican Theorists’ Big Lie

Basically, Mesoamerican Theorists use the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as the Land of Promise Narrow Neck of Land. This is the land that Mormon claims was narrow enough for a Nephite to walk across in one and a half days (Alma 22:32). A day and a half journey for a normal person would probably not exceed 30 to 40 miles, and likely for most would be between 25 and 30 miles—which would be 1.67 miles per hour for 18 straight hours without a rest. It is doubtful that Mormon meant 18 hours of straight walking. But more likely, a walk a normal man would make taking rest stops which almost anyone would require—which would make it around two and a half miles per hour—a good clip for an average person to maintain over a day and a half journey.
The distance of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec is about 140 miles across, which should eliminate this area as the Nephite narrow neck of land without further discussion; however, John L. Sorenson in his book, “An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon,” spent some time trying to show that special people under special circumstances could travel faster and longer. But that, again, is unlikely the meaning of Mormon’s insertion which was meant to show the future reader the distance of this narrow neck of land.

Consider the negative parts of using the Gulf of Tehuantepec in Mesoamerica as the Narrow Neck of Land:

1. It is far too wide, covering 140 miles and would not be considered narrow to a normal person. Traveling 20 miles per day (on foot) would take seven days to cross.

2. It runs north and south, not east and west; therefore, it does not divide a land on the north from a land on the south (Alma 22:32).

3. It is not located where the sea divides the land, with the land to the south nearly surrounded by water except for this narrow neck (Alma 22:32).

4. It does not have a sea to the west, nor a sea to the east (Alma 2:32-33).

5. It does not have a sea to the west that would allow a launching of Hagoth’s ships that could take their course northward (Alma 63:6).

6. It does not have a narrow pass as a recognizable feature (Alma 50:34; 52:9).

7. It would be hard to imagine this 140 mile width area being completely blocked by poisonous serpents (Ether 9:31-34).

8. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to fortify this 140-mile width land against an invading army the size of the Lamanites (Alma 52:9).

9. It has no sea at the terminous of the land northward, nor at the terminous of the land southward, yet the land southward was surrounded by water (Alma 22:32

10. It does not have four seas (east, west, north and south)

(Next Post: Further reasons why Tehuantepec cannot be the narrow neck of land)