Evidence #165 | March 15, 2021

Book of Mormon Evidence: Temples Outside of Jerusalem

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Scripture Central

Abstract

Nephi’s construction of a temple like the one built by Solomon is consistent with known examples of Israelite temples and shrines built outside of Jerusalem and even outside of Israel.

Nephi Builds a Temple “After the Manner … of Solomon”

Sometime after their arrival in the New World, Nephi and his followers separated themselves from the Lamanites and established a small community of believers (2 Nephi 5:5–15). The Book of Mormon reports that at that time, Nephi constructed a temple: And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s Temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.” (2 Nephi 5:16)1

Additional Temples and Shrines in Israel

Archaeological work has now revealed that ancient Israelites did, in fact, construct temples “after the manner ... of Solomon” at locales outside of Jerusalem and even outside the land of Israel. According to William J. Hamblin and David Rolph Seely, “Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of at least four Israelite temples not mentioned in the Bible that flourished during [the time before Lehi].” These temples have been found at Megiddo, Arad, Lachish, and Beersheba.2

Aerial View of Upper Tel Arad.

Concerning the temple at Arad, Philip J. King and Lawrence E. Stager wrote, “The temple [is] dedicated to the God of Israel” and consists of a tripartite structure with “a forecourt, main hall, and Holy of Holies,” the same as Solomon’s Temple. While the temple at Arad is not entirely like Solomon’s Temple, it shared enough similarities in architecture and function to be unmistakable as an authentic Israelite temple, complete with its own force of administrative priests.3

In 2020 archaeologists at Tel Aviv University in Israel published an article describing the discovery and excavation of an additional temple at Tel Moẓa, just 4 miles northwest of Jerusalem. “It apparently stood, operated, and welcomed worshipers throughout most of the Iron Age II, from its establishment around 900 B.C.E. until its demise sometime toward the end of the Iron Age (early sixth century B.C.E.).”4 Among other reasons, its proximity to Jerusalem and its architectural parallel with the structure of Solomon’s temple are indications that the temple at Tel Moẓa was indeed a sanctioned Israelite temple.5

Aerial view of Tel Motza and drawing of Nephi's temple by Jody Livingston.

The archaeological remains of such structures should not be completely unexpected. The Bible itself “describes at least eleven buildings that can be identified as shrines dedicated to the worship of Yahweh,” as Hamblin and Seely clearly demonstrate. Their list includes holy places at “Shiloh, Dan, Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nob, Ephraim, Ophrah, and Gibeah.”6 Thus, in addition to actual temples, ancient Israelites were evidently not hesitant to construct smaller places outside of Jerusalem for worshipping the Lord. 

The Jewish Temple at Elephantine

Perhaps the most famous—and in relation to the Book of Mormon, the most important—example of an ancient Israelite temple being built outside of Jerusalem was the temple constructed by Jewish refugees on the island of Elephantine in Egypt.7 The origins of this Jewish community are believed to date to around 650–550 BC.8 Archaeological excavation and a corpus of documents written by the Jews living on the island indicate that they had built a temple sometime before 525 BC.9

Elephantine Island in Aswan. Image via egypttrippers.com.

The basic design and layout of the Elephantine temple was similar to that of Solomon’s, although it was smaller and had a simpler design reminiscent of the tabernacle in the wilderness.10 This structure demonstrates that, around the time of Lehi’s departure from Jerusalem, at least some ancient Jews were not unwilling to construct a temple outside of Israel.

Conclusion

During Joseph Smith’s lifetime, at least three different critics assumed that the Book of Mormon contravened biblical law on this point, which they insisted forbade building any temples outside of Jerusalem.11 While it may have seemed safe at that time to assume that Nephi’s temple would have been unacceptable to ancient Jews, no such thing can be confidently concluded today.

The unfolding archaeological and textual record demonstrates that multiple Israelite temples and shrines were built outside of Jerusalem, and even outside of Israel. Rather than opposing some universally established law or custom, Nephi’s group did what might now be expected of a devout colony of Jews who were forced to flee their homeland around 600 BC. They built a temple, which was central to Israelite worship at the time.

Hugh Nibley

The Elephantine temple, in particular, supports this detail in the Book of Mormon. As Hugh Nibley explained, “The discovery of the Elephantine documents in 1925 showed that colonies of Jews actually did flee into the desert in the manner of Lehi, during his lifetime, and for the same reasons; arriving in their new home far up the Nile, they proceeded to build a replica of Solomon’s Temple, exactly as Lehi did upon landing in the New World.”12 Speaking of the Nephites, Nibley summarized elsewhere, “In all these things they were simply following in the established line without any break from the past.”13

Further Reading
Endnotes
Culture
Structures
Temples Outside Jerusalem
Book of Mormon

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