Book of Mormon Evidence: Snake Infestation

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Scripture Central

Abstract

The book of Ether records that a drought was followed by a snake infestation. The details of this account are plausible in light of ecological science as well as similar accounts from both ancient and modern times.

A Snake Infestation in the Book of Mormon

The book of Ether records what may at first seem like an unusual series of events:

The people during the days of King Heth rejected the Lord’s prophets (Ether 9:28–29).
The Lord then sent “a great dearth upon the land, and the inhabitants began to be destroyed exceedingly fast … for there was no rain upon the face of the earth” (v. 30).
Afterwards, “there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land” (v. 31).
The people’s “flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward” (v. 31).
The serpents followed the flocks until the Lord caused “that they should pursue them no more, but that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass” (v. 33).
As far as they were able, the people also “did follow the course of the beasts” and “did devour the carcasses of them which fell by the way” (v. 34).1

Snake Infestations in both Modern and Ancient Times

Throughout history, snakes have caused humans a good deal of trouble. Hugh Nibley has highlighted several ancient accounts of human-snake conflict that, like the story in Ether, include snakes swarming human habitation after a period of drought, as well as snakes blocking a path of human travel:

Pompey the Great, we are told, could not get his army into Hyrcania because the way was barred by snakes along the Araxes, a stream that still swarms with the creatures. One of the chief philanthropic activities of the Persian magi was to make war on the snakes—a duty which must go back to a time when the race was sorely pressed by them. The Absurtitani were said to have been driven from their country by snakes, and Esarhaddon of Assyria recalls the horror and danger of a march by his army through a land “of serpents and scorpions, with which the plain was covered as with ants.” In the thirteenth century A.D. Shah Sadrudin set his heart on the building of a capital which should surpass all other cities in splendor; yet the project had to be abandoned after enormous expense when during a period of drought the place so swarmed with serpents that no one could live in it.2

It should not be surprising, in light of such reports, that the ancient authors and editors of the book of Ether would similarly draw attention to a vexing snake infestation.3 Such problems are apparently not too trivial to be included in ancient historical accounts.

The account in Ether is also consistent with ecological science. A number of natural conditions could have caused a spike in snake population, such as the reduction of natural predators or an increase of prey.4 In addition, many animals, including some species of snake, are known to migrate to new habitats during times of drought, usually in search of food or water.5

The snakes in Ether migrated to rivers during the famine, blocking the way to the land southward. Image by Book of Mormon Central.

Telling about a personal experience on a farm near Jericho, Book of Mormon scholar John A. Tvedtnes reported that most of the farm’s pumps had been destroyed, causing mice to migrate westward in search of cultivated fields. Serpents then followed the mice, which caused an unusual influx of vipers in areas of human habitation. Tvedtnes remarked, “My thoughts turned to the story in Ether 9:30–3, where we read that the Jaredites were plagued by ‘poisonous serpents’ during a time of ‘great dearth’ when ‘there was no rain upon the face of the earth’.”6

According to geologist Jerry Grover, “In 2007, a large migration of venomous brown snakes invaded the city and suburbs of Sydney, Darwin, and other areas of Australia that had been hit by the worst drought in 100 years, biting many people. The snakes were seeking water, and were much more aggressive than normal, although brown snakes are known to be an aggressive snake.”7 In 2009 snakes swarmed into populated areas of southern Iraq in response to reduced water levels in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. According to one medical administrator, “We knew these snakes before, but now they are coming in huge numbers. They are attacking buffalo and cattle as well as people.”8 Similar examples could be cited.9

Conclusion

Such accounts suggest that a correlation indeed exists between droughts and snake migrations and infestations, at least for some species and in some circumstances.10 In light of such evidence, the story in the book of Ether is not by any means farfetched. It is expected that animals would migrate during a drought and that snakes would follow those animals, either in search of prey or in search of water, or perhaps both. Furthermore, it also makes sense for the snakes to have taken up residence in a new location, perhaps along the stretch of a lengthy river where water and food was more plentiful. This, in turn, would have provided a natural barrier to “hedge up the way” for southbound travelers, as described in Ether 9:33.

Whether the reported snake activity in the book of Ether was directly or indirectly caused by the Lord, the story certainly holds what Tvedtnes described as a “ring of truth about it.”11 Mesoamerican scholar Brant A. Gardner similarly felt that “what otherwise appears to be a fanciful tale contains surprising touches of authenticity.”12

Evidence #95 | September 19, 2020

Book of Mormon Evidence: Snake Infestation