This eighth question is directed at numerous Theorists who have placed their Land of Promise models in Mesoamerica, Great Lakes, Heartland, Baja California, et al.
8. “Where is the island in your model that Jacob claims they were upon in the Land of Promise?” (2 Nephi 10:20)
And the follow up question, 8b. "Where is the "Sea that Divides the Land" as mentioned in Ether 10:20?"
First, not long after establishing the City of Nephi and Jacob being consecrated a priest and teacher (2 Nephi 5:26; 6:2), Jacob’s words are recorded by Nephi, which make it very clear that the Land of Promise, in which they lived, was situated on an island (2 Nephi 10:20).
Second, this island, including the Land Southward and the Land Northward, was surrounded by seas (Helaman 3:8).
Thirdly, there is little chance that either Nephi or Jacob had much opportunity to travel around their new home to determine it was an island first hand—most likely, the Spirit told this to Jacob since he had thus been told by the Spirit that those Jews left in Jerusalem had been carried away captive (2 Nephi 6:8), and also an angel spoke to Jacob telling him Christ’s name (2 Nephi 10:3).
Fourth, at this time, Nephi assigns his brother, Jacob, to speak to the people (2 Nephi 6:4) using Isaiah as a text, in which Jacob preaches about Israel being gathered in (2 Nephi 10:7), mentioning from the isles of the sea (2 Nephi 10:8). At this point, Jacob reminds the Nephites that they are upon an isle of the sea (2 Nephi 10:20), as are others on isles of the sea (2 Nephi 10:21).
Fifth, an island, by its very nature, is a piece of land embossed in the ocean, surrounded by water. It is not a peninsula, nor an isthmus, but an island.
Sixth, according to Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, the word “island” in Joseph Smith's day was not used in writing, since it was a combination of two phrases, and not a word at the time. The word “isle” was used since that was the correct word for “island” during the time Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon.
Seventh, Mormon describes the Land of Nephi and the Land of Zarahemla, referring to the entire Land Southward, as nearly surrounded by water except for the small neck of land that led into the Land Northward (Alma 22:32).
Eighth, nor can we use Sorenson's argument that the ancient Hebrew used the word "isle" to mean something other than an island, for whatever the word, symbol or glyph in Reformed Egyptian that was used to write what Joseph Smith translated as "isle," the translation took place under the direction of the Spirit and the word "isle" was used by Joseph, which in his day, meant an "island." Thus, Joseph interpreted the word to mean "island," the Spirit acknowledged the correct meaning of "island," and "isle," or "island" is what the scriptural record reads.
So we ask again, “Where is the island in your model that Jacob claims they were upon in the Land of Promise?"
As for the "sea that divides the land," it is the seaway between the Land Southward and the Land Northward at the narrow neck of land, just as Ether suggests in his comment in Ether 10:20.
In this island example, the area of water between the Land Northward and the Land Southward is the "sea that divides the land." In the Andean Peru area, this sea is the Bay of Guayaquil, which divides Ecuador from Peru and creates an inlet of the sea and divides the north land from the south land except for a narrow strip of land to the east--during Nephite times, this bordered on the Sea East, today the tall Andean Mountains, still creating a narrow corridor between the lands
No comments:
Post a Comment