15 Chapters
The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: "Out of Darkness Unto Light"
Title
The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: "Out of Darkness Unto Light"
Publication Type
Book
Year of Publication
2000
Authors
Tvedtnes, John A. (Primary)
Number of Pages
266
Publisher
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
City
Provo, UT
Abstract
If it existed in only one ancient copy, says John Tvedtnes, the Book of Mormon may have been unique. But in virtually every other way it resembles many ancient books. In this present volume, Tvedtnes shows perhaps fifty things about ancient records that must have been hilarious in 1830 but make perfect sense today: the ubiquity of intentionally hiding books in all kinds of ingenious containers made of many materials, including stone boxes and ceramic jars; books incised on obdurate surfaces, like metals, bones, and ivory; inked papyri and parchments treated with swaddling cloths soaked in cedar and citrus oils to prevent decay; many sealed and open records; waterproofing sealants like bitumen and white lime mortar; caves serving as repositories of treasures buried in many sacred mountains; the ancient perception of permanence and eternalism associated with the preservative functions of writers and guardians of written records. Many twentieth-century discoveries of ancient documents have made all of this visible.
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