Evidence #387 | January 10, 2023

Book of Mormon Evidence: Nephi’s Kingly Introduction

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Scripture Central

Abstract

Nephi’s opening lines in his first book resemble the opening statements made by various ancient Near Eastern kings, as recorded on monuments and other enduring media.

The most famous words in all of the Book of Mormon may very well be found in Nephi’s opening statements in 1 Nephi 1:1:

I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

Although Nephi is presented as a youth in the opening chapters of his book, which begins around 600 BC, readers should be aware that he composed it more than thirty years after its initial events transpired (2 Nephi 5:28). And by that time, he had become a king and a prophet over his people, hence the designation “His Reign and Ministry” in the subtitle of his book.1 One must also remember that even though Nephi composed his book in the New World, he was raised in Jerusalem. One can assume, therefore, that his ideas of kingship were influenced, at least in part, by his Near Eastern background.2

With that in mind, it is noteworthy that Nephi’s introductory statements found in 1 Nephi 1:1 share several elements with the writings of various ancient Near Eastern kings, as made upon monuments and other enduring media. These include at least the following (color coded for easier identification):

1. a first-person introduction following the formula “I, name, son/born of …” (blue),

2. a reference to the ruler’s father, mother, or to parentage in general (green),

3. frequent use of the phrase “my days” or emphasis on the providential prolonging or enriching of the ruler’s days (red),3

4. attention drawn to the ruler’s relationship with deity, often emphasizing that he has been blessed or favored by his god(s) in various ways (orange).

For the sake of comparison, below are several examples of statements made by ancient Near Eastern rulers, placed side by side with Nephi’s introduction.4 The opening lines of these introductions, as they are currently translated, read “I am [name], son/blessed of.” However, the being verb am is not necessitated by the underlying scripts, so these passages could also be appropriately translated as “I, [name], son/blessed of ….” The latter option is more analogous to Nephi’s opening line in 1 Nephi 1:1 (“I, Nephi, having been born of …”).5

Individual: Yehawmilk6

Script: Phoenician

Date: 5th–4th centuries BC

Nephi

Yehawmilk

I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

 

I am Yehawmilk, king of Byblos/Gubal, son of Yeharbaal, son of son/grandson of Urimilk, king of Byblos/Gubal, whom the Lady, Baalat/Mistress of Byblos/gubal made king upon Byblos/Gubal.May the Mistress of Byblos/Gubal bless Yehawmilk, king of Byblos/Gubal, may she keep him alive, and may she prolong his days and his years upon Byblos/Gubal, for he (is) a righteous king. And may [the Lady], Mistress of Byblos/Gubal give [him] favor in the eyes of gods, and in the eyes of the people of this land and favor of the people of this land.

Individual: Panamuwa7

Script: Aramaic

Date: mid-8th century BC

Nephi

Panamuwa

I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

 

I am Panamuwa, son of Qarli, king of Ydy, who have erected this statue for Hadad in my eternal abode. The gods Hadad and El and Rasap and Rakib-El and Samas supported me. And Hadad and El and Rakib-El and Samas and Rasap gave the scepter of dominion into my hands. Rasap supported me. And I, Panamuwa, reigned also on the throne of my father. … And in my days also Ydy ate and drank. And in my days it was commanded throughout al[l my lan]d to reconstruct TYRT …. And in the days when I gained dominion, a gift-offering(?) was given to the gods …

 

Hadad inscription, made out of basalt, which begins "I am Panamuwa, son of Qarli ..." Image via Wikipedia. 

Individual: Azatiwada8

Script: Phoenician / Hieroglyphic Luwian

Date: end of the 8th century BC

Nephi

Panamuwa

I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

 

I am Azatiwada, the blessed of Baal, servant of Baal, whom Awariku, king of the Danunians, empowered. Baal made me a father and a mother to the Danunians. … Now there was in my days all good for the Danunians and abundance and luxury. … And they were in my days on all the borders of the Plain of Adana from the East to the West, …. But in my days, (especially) mine, a woman can walk alone with her spindles, by the grace of Baal and the gods. Now there was in all my days abundance and luxury and good living …. Since in my days there was for the land of the Plain of Adana abundance and luxury. And there was never any night for the Danunians in my days. …. Now may Baal KRNTRYS bless Azatiwada with life and health, … may Baal KRNTRYS and all the gods of the city give Azatiwada length of days and multitude of years and good prosperity.

Conclusion

More than a dozen such examples are presented in the Appendix, written in different scripts and coming from different times and locations. While they all have differences, they also share a number of similarities, some of which are also present in Nephi’s account. This isn’t to say that Nephi exclusively modeled his introduction on such precedents,9 but his words certainly fit well alongside them. The introduction found in 1 Nephi 1:1 can therefore be credibly viewed as the opening statements of a Hebrew monarch writing in the 6th century BC.

Further Reading
Relevant Scriptures
Appendix
Endnotes
Literary Features
Book of Mormon

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